In a victory for student activists seeking to end the digital divide, Comcast announced today that it will speed up its low-cost Internet Essentials plan, which some families say is not fast enough to learn online.
Since the pandemic forced online schools last year, students have argued that the speeds offered by Comcast at a discount to low-income households – 25 Megabits per second (Mbps) and 3 Mbps uploads – have not been sufficient for remote classes, especially in homes with several people using the internet at the same time. Comcast said it would increase speeds to 50 Mbps and 5 Mbps respectively.
Although the increase in Comcast did not fully meet the students’ demands, the teens were nonetheless in a festive mood at a press conference held Tuesday afternoon outside Baltimore City Hall.
“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). “Like jumping from joy type news.”
Kimberly Vasquez, a senior at Baltimore City College High School and principal SOMOS organizer, agreed. “This increase in speed means so much to me because it means that my sisters and I can hopefully gain access to all of our classes at once,” she said. “I feel hopeful. It’s about time. “
Comcast announced the news in a press release Tuesday morning. “To receive the increased internet speed, existing customers do not have to do anything,” the company said. “The new speeds will be rolled out nationwide from March 1.”
In response to shouts from students and families, Comcast has repeatedly argued that the Internet Essentials speeds it has offered since March 2020 meet the Federal Communications Commission’s definition of high – speed broadband and should be sufficient for multiple, simultaneous video conferencing.
“This change is an acknowledgment that Comcast has recognized from the outset and probably acknowledged that the service was inadequate and not nearly enough for what people actually needed,” Abid said at Tuesday’s press conference.
The students plan to continue pushing Comcast for additional changes, such as making public Wi-Fi hotspots completely free for everyone. Members of the Baltimore City Council also said they would continue to eliminate Comcast’s near-monopoly in Baltimore and establish municipal broadband.
“Today, Comcast acknowledged what these students have been saying for months: Internet Essentials is not fast enough, and they need to do better,” said City Councilman Zeke Cohen. ‘Let us be clear: we will continue to fight to make the internet a public utility. We will push the FCC and the Biden administration to invest in this critical infrastructure and eliminate the digital divide. ”
Acting President of the FCC Jessica Rosenworcel has publicly questioned whether the current definition of broadband is fast enough to meet the needs of U.S. households, but the agency has not responded to requests for comment on whether it intends to to change its guidelines.
Sen. Chris Wyden, an Oregon Democrat, said Comcast’s speed increase is a major improvement over the status quo, but it will still not do the job for families with more than one child. ‘He suggested that Comcast offer 5 Mbps per child in each household.
“Clearly, the existing definition, especially for upload speeds, is outdated,” Wyden told BuzzFeed News. “The FCC needs to update its definition regularly to reflect the realities of work, school and commerce, especially as COVID-19 is accelerating the trend towards virtual activities.”
Comcast’s decision to increase Internet Essentials speeds comes as the company is under pressure from lawmakers over its plan to impose a 1.2 terabyte limit on Internet subscriber data usage. When the limit is rolled out, customers who exceed their limit will charge $ 10 per 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 “super-user customers” use such a “large” amount of data, but larger households with multiple people streaming, video conferencing and downloading games and videos can outdo themselves.
After members of Congress and state legislatures pushed back the limit, which could lead to families working and learning at home during the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, Comcast decided to delay implementation. The company now says that new levies will only come into effect in July 2021.
For now, the increase in Internet Essentials speed is a big win for students who have spent hundreds of hours drafting petitions, speaking during hearings and arranging press conferences. “There’s a lot of work to do,” Vasquez said. “But it’s a step in the right direction.”