There is a major challenge in cities all across Washington state, big and small: it’s called the digital divide and it’s here in Spokane County. It’s something we’re working hard to fix through Comcast’s Internet Essentials program. It’s the state’s largest and most comprehensive broadband adoption program.

Ten years of work has resulted in more than 60,000 low-income people in Spokane County having internet service in their home, many for the first time.

Internet Essentials has broken down the barrier to internet adoption. It includes literacy training, access to a low-cost Internet-ready computer, and Internet service for $9.95 a month.

Connectivity in the home continues to be our top priority, and the number one solution for our residents to access online resources. But it’s is not the only answer.

We recognize that we also play an important role connecting people to the internet outside of the home. Thousands of Washingtonians depend on community centers for access to internet resources. Our Lift Zone initiative aims to address that need.

We are equipping 80 community centers in the state with free internet service to help students in need of a safe place for distance learning. This includes 14 Lift Zones in Spokane County.

Lift Zones will help thousands of people who may need a place to access online education, healthcare and employment resources. Our Lift Zone partners include Spokane Public Schools, Family Promise of Spokane and Washington Childcare Centers Association (WCCA).

Each Lift Zone provides free internet service to the community center run by a nonprofit, city, or business. Some are open now and more will be open in the coming months. You do not need to be a Comcast or Internet Essentials customer to use a Lift Zone. Access is determined by the entity in charge of the facility. Open Lift Zones may be found here.

Earlier this year, Comcast announced plans to invest $1 billion over the next 10 years to help further close the digital divide.

This long-term investment will help 50 million Americans. Funds will go toward Lift Zones, laptops and computers, grants for nonprofits, and Internet Essentials.

This news comes on the heels of a series of initiatives announced during the COVID-19 pandemic:

* Increased Internet Essentials speeds to give families at home had the speeds they needed .

* Joined Washington’s K-12 Internet Access Program. This program has helped thousands of students get home internet for the 2020-2021 school year.

* Developed the Internet Essentials Partnership Program. This program provides broadband service to hundreds of schools and nonprofit partners.

* Offered 60 days of free Internet service to new Internet Essentials customers who needed to get online pandemic. This program runs through 2021.

* Opened more than 70,000 public WiFi hotspots for people to connect to during the current pandemic.

* Built an online learning center that with 200 digital literacy training videos and guides that are free to anyone to use.

For more information about Internet Essentials and Comcast’s commitment to education and digital equity, please visit corporate.comcast.com/education Families and households can apply for Internet Essentials at www.internetessentials.com or by phone at 1-855-846-8376 for English or 1-855-765-6995 for Spanish.