It is estimated that roughly 15% of households in the city of Indianapolis do not have a broadband internet subscription. The obstacle isn’t internet access—a common misconception. High speed broadband service is available across virtually every corner of the city. In fact, Indianapolis residents have access to the same robust and reliable gigabit speeds that are available in neighboring suburbs.

The true challenge lies in getting households to adopt broadband service. There are multiple reasons that contribute to why so many households have not connected despite having access to a broadband connection.

According to a 2021 U.S. Census Bureau and National Telecommunications and Information Administration survey, among the top reasons people across the U.S. do not subscribe to Internet at home are:

• 18% of U.S. households cite cost of monthly service
• 60% of U.S. households cite a variety of complex challenges, including:
  • concern over online safety, privacy and security;
  • frustration over technology and lack of access to technical assistance; and
  • unfamiliarity with all the opportunities the internet can provide
• 3% of U.S. households cite no computer, inadequate equipment or cost of a computer

On each of these three key fronts, there is much being done to bridge the digital divide and maximize the number of people in Indianapolis who adopt internet connectivity.

Eliminate the Cost-of-Service Hindrance

According to results of the 2021 United States Census data the median household income for residents living in Indianapolis was $54,000 per year, and 16.4% of the population lived at or below the poverty level, reinforcing there is an affordability hurdle. Combating this obstacle are several public and private programs that make broadband service more affordable—and in many cases, free—for qualifying households.

In 2021, Congress and the FCC created the Affordable Connectivity Program—formerly the Emergency Broadband Benefit—a long-term, $14 billion program that helps families and households struggling to afford internet service and connects them to critical services. Since the program’s inception, it’s estimated that more than 16 million households have enrolled in this broadband affordability program.

Even before this government support became a reality, internet providers serving Indianapolis, including Comcast, have offered heavily discounted residential broadband coupled with other key features, like router and security at no cost as well as access to millions of WiFi hotspots. Programs like these make internet adoption easy, affordable—and even free with a $30 credit toward internet service—to an ever-increasing number of Indy residents, while offering high speeds, reliable equipment, complimentary technical support, and continuing education.

We have effective government and private solutions available. Continuing to raise awareness of these programs will alleviate affordability as a contributing factor to the adoption gap allowing us to shift more focus toward the need for more equipment and education.

Get Reliable Equipment in The Hands of Those Who Need It

Another barrier to adopting broadband internet is the lack of having reliable equipment—laptops, desktops, or tablets—readily available in the home. The city of Indianapolis, numerous providers, private organizations, and nonprofits have made incredible investments and strong headway in putting donated devices in the hands of people who need them.

As with any technology, however, laptops and tablets are prone to breaking and eventually become obsolete. Hence, there is an ongoing need to put devices in the hands of the people who most need the technology. Solving this perpetual challenge will require collaboration between municipalities, nonprofits and private organizations to determine how to best allocate investments for the strongest need.

However, the use of new equipment—regardless of reliability— cannot be fully optimized if unfamiliarity with or distrust of the technology exists. Consequently, this places outsized importance on digital skills training in the community.

Improve Digital Skills & Education

One of the biggest facilitators of internet adoption is digital skills training and education, particularly around online safety and security. Thirty-two million Americans still struggle to use a computer, and 71% of adults without home broadband say they’re not interested in having it in the future. But with connected technologies becoming more important than ever in today’s internet-driven world, knowing what broadband can do and the opportunities it provides is critical to long-term economic and educational sustainability.

A myriad of service providers, community nonprofits and private organizations are laying the groundwork in building trust, but more still needs to be done to concentrate investment, boost collaboration and strengthen and build upon the digital skills and adoption initiatives already underway throughout the City of Indianapolis.

Next Steps

Bridging the digital divide is a complex issue that requires an elevated level of collaboration. As we continue refining programs and initiatives to bolster internet adoption, we need to allocate resources more effectively, look deeply at the data and understand why adoption struggles persist. While great strides have already been made in Indianapolis, more work can be done to ensure a fully connected population aligned with an increasingly digital-first world.

-By Shannon Dulin, Director of Community Impact – Heartland Region, Comcast

 

Source: Indianapolis Busienss Journal

 

Comcast announced today a partnership with the National Skills Coalition (NSC) to educate local, state, and national decisionmakers about the benefits of the new Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to promote digital equity and opportunity nationwide. The initiative aims to help close the digital skill divide that is currently limiting educational and employment opportunities for nearly 50 million Americans.

“If local, state, and federal decisionmakers fully understand its potential – and if workforce and broadband offices work together on its implementation – this federal investment in digital equity could have a profound impact on closing the digital skill divide for tens of millions of America’s workers,” said Andy Van Kleunen, NSC CEO. “We’re grateful to Comcast for their partnership in making that happen.”

 

“When digital skills grow, our economy grows.”

“The demand for digital skills exists across every industry and throughout the workforce. That’s why we’re proud to partner with the National Skills Coalition to help ensure more local and national leaders are aware of and take advantage of public sector digital equity funds to invest in the skill development programs that are critical to closing our country’s digital divide,” said Dalila Wilson-Scott, EVP and Chief Diversity Officer of Comcast Corporation and President of the Comcast NBCUniversal Foundation.

As part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law passed by Congress in 2021, states have recently begun to receive historic federal investments in digital equity through the $42 billion BEAD program and the $2.75 billion DEA.

BEAD funding will help states expand access to broadband, digital devices, and digital skills in unserved or under-served communities. BEAD also invests in training local workers to install and maintain new broadband infrastructure in their communities. Complementary, DEA will provide grants to states to support a range of digital inclusion activities, including digital skill building and efforts to advance awareness of adoption programs such as the Affordable Connectivity Program.

In addition to the grant, NSC and Comcast will partner on research, communications, and trainings that highlight best practices for implementing federal digital inclusion funding. The work will engage federal, state and local officials; state workforce and digital inclusion advocates; and national equity organizations.

Comcast’s partnership with the National Skills Coalition is part of Project UP, the company’s comprehensive initiative to advance digital equity and help build a future of unlimited possibilities.

Source: Comcast

 

Comcast realizes that serving the Region means serving an incredibly diverse population. People of all races, ethnicities, and identities call Northwest Indiana home. One of the ways Comcast is helping to support that diversity is through Comcast RISE, which stands for Representation, Investment, Strength and Empowerment.   Comcast RISE is part of Project UP, the company’s comprehensive, $1 billion initiative to advance digital equity and help build a future of unlimited possibilities.

The RISE program was started in 2020 as a way to support the businesses that were statistically hit the hardest by COVID-19. Originally, the program accepted applications from small businesses owned by people of color, but the program expanded in 2021 to include all-women-owned small businesses. A panel of judges reviews the applications, and companies accepted into the RISE program receive practical support to expand their business.

Applications are judged on three main criteria: the completeness of the application, the persuasiveness of the application, and the originality of the application. This helps to ensure that only legitimate applicants with heart and knowledge that just need a bit of a helping hand are selected.

The RISE program has four main areas of support for small businesses to help them not just stay afloat but also grow and expand. RISE awardees receive one or more of the following services: marketing consultation services, a 90-day TV media campaign, creative production services to create a 30-second commercial and a tech makeover featuring a combination of Comcast Business services and computer equipment.

The Comcast RISE Investment Fund is an extension of the program and recently awarded $10,000 grants to small businesses in Chicago, Miami, Oakland, Seattle, and Washington, D.C. areas. These areas were selected because they were hit particularly hard by COVID-19. The most recent round of grants announced in November featured 100 grants distributed throughout each area. The money awarded from this round alone totaled $5 million.

Over its two-year term, RISE has provided over $110 million of support to over 13,000 small businesses throughout the United States. On top of the financial and business support services provided by the RISE program, Comcast has partnered with the entrepreneur-based platform Ureeka to provide ongoing mentorship and resources to help small businesses succeed over the long-term.  In addition, the company partnered with tech education and training nonprofit Hopeworks on a Comcast RISE recipient map to encourage consumers to patronize small Comcast RISE businesses in their communities.

Supporting local businesses translates to national success, and everyone benefits when the community they’re a part of flourishes. Additional details about the RISE program in 2023 are forthcoming. To learn more about Comcast’s RISE program, see recipient success stories, or find local businesses that have benefited from the program, visit the initiative’s website at comcastrise.com.

Source: NWI Life

 

Comcast today announced, “Free This Week,” a new year-long program that will deliver Xfinity customers more value by unlocking a new selection of free content each week from top streaming services and premium networks, no strings attached. “Free This Week” programming will be available for Xfinity customers and curated into one simple to navigate destination available on X1 and Flex. A selection of “Free This Week” programming will also be available on the Xfinity Stream app and Xumo’s XClass TV.

“Free This Week” comes ten years after Xfinity’s inaugural free content sampling, Watchathon Week, and represents an evolution of the company’s free programming strategy providing customers with something free to watch, every week of the year. New data released by Xfinity shows viewership typically doubles during the time a network or streaming service participates in a content sampling such as “Free This Week.”

“At Xfinity, we strive to deliver the best entertainment experience to our customers and make it easy for them to access all the programming they subscribe to, and also discover new programming that might be of interest to them,” said Sophia Ahmad, EVP and CMO, Comcast Cable. “With Free This Week, we are offering customers a no-strings-attached chance to discover something new every week of the year, building on the great success previously established with events like Watchathon Week and Free TV Week.”

Helping ensure customers start the new year on the right foot, the first two weeks of “Free This Week” will feature free access to top wellness apps such as The Great Courses, Gaia, One Day University, Gaiam TV, Sweat Factor and FitFusion by Jillian Michaels. Future participating networks and streaming services include HBO Max, SHOWTIME®, REVOLT, HISTORY Vault, Lifetime Movie Club and more.

To access “Free This Week” programming and look ahead to what content is going to be unlocked in future weeks, customers can simply say “Free This Week” into their voice remote.

Source: Comcast

 

Comcast announced today that it has awarded the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Northwest Indiana’s Lake Station Club a $10,000 grant to support digital skills training and new computers and other technology.

“Our mission is to ‘inspire and enable the youth of Northwest Indiana’s communities to realize their full potential as productive, responsible and caring citizens,’” said Ryan Smiley, Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Northwest Indiana President & CEO. “What better way to help our members prepare for the future than to give them the tools they need to succeed academically and in their future workplace.”

The grants are part of Project UP, Comcast’s 10-year, $1 billion commitment to advance digital equity. One of Project UP’s centerpieces is Internet Essentials, a low-cost Internet service for low-income families, which has helped 560,000 people in Indiana connect to the Internet at home since it was launched in 2011.

“Through Internet Essentials, Comcast has helped hundreds of thousands of Indiana families get connected to the Internet at home,” said John Crowley, Comcast’s Regional Senior Vice President. “I’m proud that Comcast recognized the impact of the digital divide early on, stepped up and now continues to offer solutions that further our commitment to organizations like the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Northwest Indiana and the youth the organization serves.”

Crowley also noted a federal government digital equity initiative, called the “Affordable Connectivity Program” (ACP), which provides eligible low-income households a credit up to $30 a month toward the cost of Internet and/or mobile services, including all of Comcast’s Xfinity Internet and Xfinity Mobile plans. The ACP would cover the cost of Internet Essentials or Internet Essentials Plus, making it free for eligible families. For more information, visit www.xfinity.com/acp.

More about Project UP, Comcast’s $1 Billion Commitment to Advance Digital Equity

For over a decade, connecting more people to the Internet and the technology they need to participate and excel in an increasingly digital world has been one of Comcast’s top priorities. Looking toward the next ten years, Comcast is building on that foundation and expanding its impact through Project UP, a comprehensive initiative to advance digital equity and help build a future of unlimited possibilities.

Backed by a $1 billion commitment to reach 50 million people, Project UP encompasses the programs and community partnerships across Comcast, NBCUniversal and Sky that connect people to the Internet, advance economic mobility and open doors for the next generation of innovators, entrepreneurs, storytellers and creators. For more information on Project Up, visit http://corporate.comcast.com/impact/project-up.

 

State leaders and internet service providers will soon begin signing contracts to build high-speed broadband to 50,000 rural homes and businesses in Indiana as part of the Next Level Connections program. The goal of this program, shared by lawmakers and internet providers, is to ensure that every Hoosier, regardless of location, has access to a high-speed connection. That’s why Indiana is partnering with providers, like Comcast, in an open, transparent, and competitive process in hopes of finally closing the rural digital divide.

Governor Holcomb’s program will spend $270 million, deploying broadband to Hoosier homes and businesses in 83 counties. We live in an increasingly digital world, and an internet connection impacts everything from education and business, to relationships, agriculture and more.
While most Hoosiers have access to high-speed internet, the Next Level Connections program is thoughtfully crafted to drive investment to rural areas that don’t have broadband infrastructure. The program promotes public trust with transparency and accountability through an open bidding and selection process, evaluation criteria, progress reporting, build-out requirements, and deadlines.

As a result of the program, in this third round Comcast will partner with the state to serve over 10,000 addresses and invest nearly $30 million in private capital. The State of Indiana will contribute $13 million in funding towards these projects in 17 Indiana communities. Comcast will begin working immediately on the various steps of this multi-year expansion project, so that we can begin construction and ultimately bring our fast, reliable network to more Hoosiers.

Without a program like Next Level Connections, these projects would not be possible as building broadband infrastructure into rural areas can be financially prohibitive, sometimes costing upwards of $40 thousand per mile. The program helps to address this challenge by leveraging public funds to fill the gaps of private investment and helping ease the financial risk for providers to build additional, more remote, rural areas.

With over 150 applications received, around 75,500 new addresses to be connected, it’s clear that this program is working well. The NLC grant program is the result of several years of hard work by the Indiana Legislature under the leadership of House Utilities Chairman Ed Soliday.

Next Level Connections is already making a difference in helping to coordinate and provide infrastructure for generations of rural Hoosiers. We look forward to continuing our participation in future rounds of this program, and we hope other providers are inspired to serve rural areas that make sense for their business model, so we can meet the noble goal of connecting all Hoosiers in the foreseeable future.

Joni Hart is Vice President of Governmental Affairs, Indiana, Comcast.

Comcast Corp. (Nasdaq: CMCSA) is hiring 300 virtual inbound sales representatives throughout its central division, which includes Indiana. Comcast says the sales reps will work directly with customers over the phone to promote and sell its products and services.

Among the open positions, the company has 50 bilingual representative openings; applicants are required to be fluent in English and Spanish. Comcast says it plans to start onboarding applicants this month and will continue hiring through June.

Comcast says employee benefits include insurance, free Xfinity television and internet services, 401K match, and a stock purchase program. Additionally, the positions are eligible for career advancement opportunities within six months to one year of employment.

Applicants are required to live in one of Comcast’s central division states, which include Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, and South Carolina, in addition to Indiana.

You can connect to more information and apply by clicking here.

Source: Inside Indiana Business

Comcast today announced XiOne, the company’s first global wireless streaming device, and the accompanying voice remote won the prestigious Red Dot Award for Product Design 2022.

This honor is awarded by an international jury to products that demonstrate outstanding design each year.

Built on Comcast’s global technology platform the XiOne was designed and developed with the flexibility to be used across Comcast’s global operations, including Xfinity, Sky, and its syndication partners. In the United States, the XiOne is currently being offered to Xfinity Flex customers and includes a new voice remote designed with excellent ergonomics, premium finishes, and a low center of gravity that fits comfortably in our customer’s hand. The XiOne is also being used across Sky operations in the UK and Europe.

With faster processing and more memory, the XiOne supports all the ways in which customers consume live and on demand video. Its soft, discreet form factor blends into the home without detracting from the TV-viewing experience, and supports the latest technologies including WiFi 6, 4K UHD, HDR, Dolby Vision, and Dolby Atmos.

“Delivering amazing connectivity and entertainment experiences requires making products that customers want to use. I’m thrilled to see our world-class design team recognized for their expert blending of form and function,” said Fraser Stirling, Global Chief Product Officer for Comcast and Sky. “We thank the Red Dot jury for recognizing our products for design that is thoughtful, flexible, and built with premium hardware that can be enjoyed by customers across the globe.”

The Comcast creative and design team have focused on delivering product designs that support the cleaning, repair, and testing of devices to extend their life beyond single use and away from landfill.

“Our team is committed to designing experiences that are simple, intuitive and make our customers’ lives better,” said Tom Loretan, Senior Vice President and Chief Creative Officer at Comcast Cable. “I’m deeply thankful to the Red Dot team for recognizing how that approach shaped the first product built on our global technology platform for all of our customers across Comcast’s Xfinity and Sky operations, and our syndication partners.”

XiOne is the latest technology developed by Comcast that leverages its global technology platform, bringing the best hardware, software, voice technology and aggregated search and discovery to the company’s suite of entertainment and connectivity products. Comcast’s range of devices across Xfinity, Sky and its syndication partners provide incredible experiences that connect, protect, and entertain customers around the world.

Source: Comcast