Internet giant Comcast, based in Philadelphia, announced last week that it will offer up to six months of free service for any low income family that has not yet applied for their program “Internet Essentials”.

Families who are approved between August 4th and September 20th will receive up to six months of free Internet service, and will only pay $9.95 per month after that. 

On the other hand, customers who have an outstanding bill that is more than one year old will now be eligible for the program without having to pay the previous balance.

“Internet Essentials is about transforming lives and inspiring a new generation of leaders to be digitally ready to access the information and tools all students need to succeed in the 21st century,” said Comcast Executive Vice President, David L. Cohen

Since 2011, Comcast’s broadband adoption program has connected more than 350,000 families, or 1.4 million low-income Americans in 39 states and the District of Columbia.

Cohen added that with the new measures, they hope to convince even more families that “there is no better school supply than having broadband Internet at home”.

To get the message across those who need it most, they will focus on schools where the vast majority of students receive a free lunch through the National School Lunch Program and can therefore automatically apply for the Internet Essentials program.

Past March, Comcast announced the indefinite continuation of the program, well beyond its original three-year commitment, in order to eliminate the digital gap among eligible students and their families. 

On the other hand, the company will also continue to offer families the option to purchase a computer for less than $150, on top of the nearly 30,000 that have already been sold.