Education

In Texas, cable operators provide free video services to more than 4,000 schools and free high-speed internet to more than 300 community centers.

At the outbreak of the pandemic, the cable industry shifted into overdrive to expand existing low-income broadband programs and create new initiatives to get more students and families online, connecting more than 5 million U.S. families to the internet in 2020 alone.

Connecting kids at home as well as at school is critical not just for their education now, but to prepare them for an increasingly technical and competitive U.S. economy. Cable providers have long offered broadband adoption programs that provide internet service for low-income households so that students don’t fall behind. These programs – which have connected more than 14 million individuals – feature low costs, free devices, eligibility programs and skill training. The largest and most comprehensive of these, Comcast’s Internet Essentials, has connected more than 10 million people, including five million students, since it began in 2011.

While cable is known for its initiatives to expand broadband access, the industry’s commitment to education is about so much more. Cable companies support their local schools through laptop donations, teacher support, scholarships, funding youth STEM projects and even donating dresses for prom. You can find out more here.

Affordable Connectivity

Providers also are participating in the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), the nation’s largest broadband affordability program that grew out of the pandemic. The $14.2 billion program provides a monthly broadband subsidy to qualifying low-income homes.

As of the end of 2022, more than 1.1 million Texas households have enrolled in the ACP.

Learn more about the Affordable Connectivity Program and how to apply.