Mediacom Communications launched improvements to its low-cost high-speed internet service for low-income customers Wednesday, offering 10 Mbps download ad 1 Mbps upload speeds for $9.95 per month.
The service, Connect2Compete, is offered in partnership with national non-profit EveryoneOne and will be available to students and families that qualify for the National School Lunch Program. The service includes the lease of a Wi-Fi enabled modem at no additional charge.
Previously, C2C was only available in a limited number of Mediacom markets at download speeds of 1.5 Mbps and upload speeds of 512 Kbps. Beginning today (June 14) the new and improved C2C offering will be available across Mediacom’s entire 3-million-home broadband footprint.
“The internet has become an essential communications and learning tool for educators, students and parents,” said Mediacom Lincoln Region Group Vice President Todd Curtis in a statement. “By launching the Connect2Compete program in Southern Illinois, we hope to make internet access available to more families by lowering the cost of entry for those most at-risk of being left behind in today’s digital world.”
Nearly half of the households in the U.S. with incomes below $30,000 per year lack access to broadband services at home, according to the Pew Research Center. In contrast, 94% of American households earning $100,000 or more a year have home broadband service.
“Addressing digital inclusion is a priority. We must ensure all residents have the capability to empower their lives through digital technology” said Carbondale, Ill. Economic development director Steven Mitchell in a statement “The Connect2Compete initiative launched by Mediacom in partnership with EveryoneOn attacks this issue head on by offering low-income families with school age children an affordable internet service option.”
For more information about Mediacom’s Connect2Compete program or to apply, visit http://www.mediacomc2c.com/.
