Comcast is expanding eligibility for its low-cost internet service, making high-speed access available to about 2 million households nationwide, including more homes in Chicago than anywhere else.
Comcast and the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development announced Friday that Comcast’s Internet Essentials, a $9.95-a-month plan, will be available to anyone living in HUD housing or who receives a HUD housing voucher.
The expansion means a total of 91,000 households in Chicago and 175,000 in Illinois will be eligible for Internet Essentials. Comcast said Chicago has more eligible households than any other city it serves.
Low-cost internet-ready computers also can be purchased through the program.
The eligibility changes were made under HUD’s ConnectHome initiative, aimed at closing the digital divide in America.
David L. Cohen, senior executive vice president and chief diversity officer at Comcast, said the changes mark the single largest expansion of the company’s Internet Essentials program.