Comcast Installs 20 Free Internet Zones to Support Education

WORKING TOGETHER WITH METRO DENVER GOVERNMENTS

Newsroom El Comercio de Colorado

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Comcast works to equip more than 20 locations in the Denver metro area with free internet access. These locations, which will be called “Lift Zones”, will be operating before the end of the year. When the chosen sites reopen and it is safe to meet in a socially distanced way, the centers are expected to help thousands of low-income students connect, engage in distance learning and do their homework.

These new Lift Zones will feature free WiFi provided by Comcast, which allows students to work on laptops simultaneously so they can successfully participate in distance learning. The free internet sites, which are being installed throughout the state including in Fort Collins, Colorado Springs and Pueblo, complement Comcast’s Internet Essentials program, which has helped connect more than 300,000 Coloradans.

“Connecting people to what matters most is part of Comcast’s mission,” said Amy Lynch, Comcast’s senior vice president, West Region. She continued, “Comcast is proud to partner and collaborate with our local governments, schools, businesses and the nonprofit community to launch Lift Zones centers in Colorado to expand safe and reliable Internet access options to a greater number of people in our communities so they can learn, work and reach their potential.”

Denver and Aurora reactions

Authorities from Aurora and Denver reacted to the work carried out with Comcast. “Providing students with a safe place in City of Aurora recreation centers to access the WiFi they need is essential to ensure that Aurora’s children continue to learn despite the pandemic,” said Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman. “We are grateful to Comcast for partnering with us in this valuable service to the community,” he said.

The Lift Zones will support a digital access initiatives that Denver has. “To help Denver students during the pandemic, the city has been operating four free learning labs in low-income and underserved neighborhoods. These labs join the Comcast network as safe, supportive places to complete homework with free, reliable, high-speed WiFi,” said Happy Haynes, director of the Denver Parks and Recreation Department.

Preventing fraud

In addition to making the Lift Zones possible, Comcast and Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser are advancing efforts to ensure that the digital gap is reduced while ensuring Internet safety and digital literacy. “Access is just one piece to bridge the digital divide. Knowing what to do online, how to do it safely, and how to protect children and families from online fraud and abuse is of the utmost importance,” said Weiser.

To prevent fraud and increase digital literacy, Comcast is donating $ 25,000 to the nonprofit, Community Computer Connection. This organization will also receive 200 laptops to be distributed in the community. The Denver Public Schools Foundation and the Aurora Public Schools Foundation will also receive $ 25,000. Those resources will boost access to technology for their students.

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