As we celebrate the 10th anniversary of our Internet Essentials program, Comcast will invest $1 billion over the next 10 years to further close the digital divide and give more low-income Americans the tools they need to succeed in an increasingly digital world.
Working together with our network of nonprofit partners across the state, we’ve connected 296,000 low-income New Mexicans to broadband Internet at home over the past 10 years.
The top New Mexico cities by Internet Essentials-connected individuals since 2011 include:
- Albuquerque: 180,000
- Las Cruces: 44,000
- Santa Fe: 21,600
- Deming: 9,600
- Los Lunas: 8,400
- Farmington: 6,800
Comcast’s $1 billion commitment will include investments in several critical areas, including:
- Additional support for the Lift Zone initiative, which establishes WiFi-connected safe spaces in more than 30 locations in New Mexico for students and adults by the end of 2021
- Funding for new laptop and computers
- Financial grants for nonprofit community organizations to create opportunities for low-income New Mexicans, particularly in media, technology, and entrepreneurship
- Continued investment in our Internet Essentials program
Comcast’s Internet Essentials program has provided Albuquerque Public Schools students and families with tools and resources to access high speed Internet at home. The APS Education Foundation has been proud to partner with Comcast and work with the program to bridge the digital divide and offer Albuquerque communities the opportunity to access critical resources online,” said Shannon Barnhill, Executive Director, APS Education Foundation. “We look forward to continuing our partnership with Comcast as we tackle new opportunities in our changing digital world.”
Our commitments are projected to impact as many as 50 million Americans over the next 10 years. In 2021 alone, Comcast estimates students across America will complete more than 25 million hours of remote learning lessons to further address the “homework gap” at the hundreds of Lift Zone locations nationally and more than 30 New Mexico Lift Zones that have already opened or will open soon.
Ten years is a remarkable milestone, signifying an extraordinary amount of work and collaboration with our incredible community partners across the country,” said Chris Dunkeson, Area Vice President, Comcast. “Together, we have been able to connect thousands of people to the power of the Internet at home, and to the endless opportunity, education, growth, and discovery it provides. Today, we are rededicating ourselves to this mission to ensure that the next generation of students in America has the tools, resources, and abilities they need to succeed in an increasingly digital world.”
For more information, click here to read and download our Internet Essentials 10-year progress report.
