Comcast Expands Web Access for Low-Income Families

Comcast says it is expanding a program to provide high-speed Internet access at low cost for low-income families in the Washington area.

The company is launching the third year of its Internet Essentials program Tuesday at Neval Thomas Elementary School in Washington. Eligibility is expanding to include all religious, private and homeschooled students.

The program is part of an effort to close the gap between those who have broadband Internet service and those who can't afford it. Eligible families can get service for $9.95 a month, along with digital literacy training. The families also qualify for a voucher to buy a computer for $150.

Comcast says the program has connected 220,000 families nationwide to the Internet, or nearly 900,000 people. That includes more than 5,000 families in the Washington area.