In a victory for student activists struggling to end the digital divide, Comcast announced today that it will speed up its low-cost Internet Essentials plan, which some families said is not fast enough for online learning.
Since the pandemic that forced online schools last spring, students have argued that the speeds Comcast offered at a discount to low-income families – downloading 25 megabits per second (Mbps) and uploading 3 Mbps – were not enough to remote classes, especially in homes with several people using the Internet at the same time. Comcast said it will increase these speeds to 50 Mbps and 5 Mbps, respectively.
Although the increase in Comcast did not fully meet student demands, teenagers were in a mood for celebration at a news conference held outside Baltimore City on Tuesday afternoon.
“This news is very exciting for all of us,” said Aliyah Abid, one of the activists involved in Students Organizing a Multicultural Open Society (SOMOS). “Kind of news jumping for joy.”
Kimberly Vasquez, a senior at Baltimore City College High School and principal organizer of SOMOS, agrees. “This increase in speed means a lot to me because it means that my sisters and I can access all of our classes simultaneously,” she said. “I am feeling hopeful. It was time. “
Comcast announced the news in a press release Tuesday morning. “To get the Internet speed up, existing customers won’t have to do anything,” said the company. “The new speeds will be launched nationally from March 1st.”
In response to the outcry of students and families, Comcast has repeatedly argued that the speeds of Internet Essentials offered since March 2020 met the definition of the Federal High Speed Broadband Communications Commission and should be sufficient for multiple simultaneous video conferences.
“This change is an acknowledgment that Comcast recognizes and probably recognized from the start that its service was inadequate, and not enough for what people really needed,” Abid told a news conference on Tuesday.
Students plan to continue to push Comcast for additional changes, such as making public Wi-Fi hotspots completely free for everyone. Baltimore City Council members also said they would continue to try to eliminate Comcast’s near monopoly in Baltimore and establish municipal broadband.
“Today, Comcast recognizes what these students have been saying for months: Internet Essentials is not fast enough and they should do better,” said councilman Zeke Cohen. “Let’s be clear: we will continue to strive to make the Internet a public service. We will put pressure on the FCC and the Biden administration to invest in this critical infrastructure and eliminate the digital divide. “
FCC acting chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel publicly questioned whether the current definition of broadband is fast enough to meet the needs of American families, but the agency has not responded to requests for comment on whether it plans to change its guidelines.
Senator Chris Wyden, a Democrat from Oregon, said the increase in Comcast’s speed is “a major improvement over the status quo, but it still won’t work for families with more than one child.” He suggested that Comcast offer 5 Mbps per child in each family.
“It is clear that the existing definition, particularly for upload speeds, is very out of date,” Wyden told BuzzFeed News. “The FCC should update its definition regularly to reflect the realities of work, school and commerce, especially as COVID-19 has accelerated trends towards virtual activities.”
Comcast’s decision to increase Internet Essentials speeds comes as the company faces pressure from lawmakers over its plan to introduce a 1.2 terabyte limit on data usage for home Internet subscribers. When the limit is established, customers who exceed the limit will be charged $ 10 for each 50 GB up to a limit of $ 100 for regular customers and $ 30 for Internet Essentials customers. Comcast said that only a small percentage of “superuser customers” typically use a “massive” amount of data, but larger homes with multiple people streaming, videoconferencing and downloading games and videos can exceed that limit.
After members of Congress and state legislatures retreated against the limit, which could result in fees for families who are working and learning at home during the COVID-19 crisis, Comcast decided to delay implementation. The company now says that the new charges will not take effect until July 2021.
For now, increasing Internet Essentials’ speed is a major victory for students who have spent hundreds of hours writing petitions, speaking at audiences and organizing press conferences. “There is a lot of work to be done,” said Vasquez. “But it is a step in the right direction.”