Lift Zones Will Provide Safe Spaces with Free Internet to Help Hundreds of Low-Income Students Participate in Distance Learning
TOWANDA, PA – April 26, 2021 – As part of its ongoing commitment to help connect low-income families to the Internet so they can fully participate in educational opportunities and the digital economy, Comcast today announced plans to equip the Bradford County Branch YMCA with a WiFi-connected “Lift Zone” this month.
Lift Zone sites complement Comcast’s Internet Essentials program, which, since 2011, has now connected a cumulative total of more than 10 million people in America to broadband Internet at home, including approximately 280 people in Bradford County alone.
Today’s announcement also comes on the heels of Comcast’s recent $1 billion commitment over the next 10 years to help further close the digital divide and give even more low-income students and families the tools and resources they need to succeed in a digital world.
Comcast is providing robust WiFi coverage at the Bradford County Branch YMCA that is expected to help hundreds of low-income students get online, participate in distance learning and do their homework.
“The Bradford County Branch YMCA is very pleased to welcome Comcast’s Lift Zones to Bradford County as part of our collective effort to ensure that youth, regardless of income, are connected to the educational tools needed to ensure their success,” said Chad Eberhart, Chief Executive Officer of River Valley Regional YMCA.
There are 17 Lift Zones already operational in central Pennsylvania, with others currently under consideration. These Lift Zones will feature free WiFi provided by Comcast, which will enable students to successfully participate in distance learning. The initiative will provide free connectivity for the community centers for the next three years.
“The COVID-19 crisis continues to put many low-income students at risk of being left behind, accelerating the need for comprehensive digital equity and Internet adoption programs to support them,” said Lisa Birmingham, Vice President of External and Government Affairs for Comcast’s Keystone Region. “We hope these Lift Zones will help those students who, for a variety of reasons, are unable to connect to effective distance learning at home.”
