Lift Zones Will Provide Safe Spaces with Free Internet to Help Hundreds of Low-Income Students Participate in Distance Learning
CARLISLE, PA – June 22, 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 Carlisle Family YMCA, Hope Station and Cyberspace with WiFi-connected “Lift Zones” this month. The robust WiFi coverage Comcast will provide at these centers is expected to help hundreds of low-income students get online, participate in distance learning and do their homework. Sites are also available for adults, veterans and seniors to look for and apply for jobs, and to keep in touch with friends and family.
Lift Zone sites complement Comcast’s Internet Essentials program, which, since 2011, has now connected more than 10 million people in America to broadband Internet at home, including approximately 10,800 people in Cumberland County.
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.
“Hope Station is pleased to partner with Comcast,” said Safronia Perry, Executive Director of Hope Station. “They have always been a great supporter of our organization and our mission to empower everyone.”
There are 50 Lift Zones already operational in Comcast’s Keystone Region, 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 Toni Murphy, Senior Vice President 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.”
