Free Broadband for Public Housing in New York Sought as Condition in Comcast Deal

[applegrove]

Free Broadband for Public Housing in New York Sought as Condition in Comcast Deal

By EMILY STEEL at the NY Times

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/29/nyregion/free-broadband-for-public-housing-in-new-york-sought-as-condition-in-comcast-deal.html?smid=re-share

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A group of New York politicians is lobbying Comcast to provide free broadband to all city public housing residents and expand other low-cost Internet offerings as a condition for the cable operator’s proposed $45 billion merger with Time Warner Cable.

Led by New York City’s public advocate, Letitia James, and City Councilman Ben Kallos, the group of state and local politicians is calling on Comcast to help bridge the so-called digital divide between people who have access to broadband connections and those who do not. About a third of New York City families do not have broadband, according to the Knight Foundation.

“With every second we wait, the digital divide is widening,” Mr. Kallos said. “What we have with the Internet is literally a portal to the world’s knowledge. One third of our city can’t get on the Internet and can’t learn whatever, whenever they want.”


The group also is asking that Comcast provide free broadband access at senior, youth and community centers as well as in homeless and domestic violence shelters. Also on the list of conditions is free Wi-Fi service in all city public parks and commitments to provide faster speeds. It also is seeking agreements from Comcast to operate under net neutrality, the idea that all Internet content should be treated equally as it flows from content providers to consumers and back.





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[yeoman6987]

1. Sounds reasonable

At first I thought it was individual homes, but they mean various public areas which most places have anyway. This is just evening the playing field which I support.

[GeorgeGist]

2. NO ...

from elsewhere.

[Nuclear Unicorn]

3. Their 1 city wants special privileges for what is a multi-national merger?

To hell with the rest of us, I suppose.