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SALT LAKE CITY -- The United States is quickly becoming a digitally connected nation, but many families are being left behind.
Utah Governor Gary Herbert has teamed up with Comcast to provide affordable internet service to low-income families that don't have access to the Internet. The program is called "Internet Essentials" and is being offered to any family in Utah that qualifies.
"Families who have school-aged children and who participate in the national school program can receive Internet from Comcast for $9.95 a month," said Comcast Regional Vice President Rodrigo Lopez.
- Be located where Comcast offers Internet service
- Have at least one child receiving free school lunches through the National School Lunch Program
- Have not subscribed to Comcast Internet service within the last 90 days
- Not have an overdue Comcast bill or unreturned equipment
Families can also purchase a home laptop computer for $149 and get literacy training. Once enrolled in the program, participants will continue to receive the discounted rate for as long as one child in the household remains on free lunches or when the Comcast account is closed by the user.
Nearly 130,000 students and families are eligible in the state of Utah for the program. Comcast will accept new applications for Internet Essentials during the 2011-2012 school year and will continue to accept new applications for the next three school years.
For more information about the program and how to apply, visit www.internetessentials.com or call 855-846-8376.