Photo: Matt Jiggins/Flickr
Comcast is extending its Internet Essentials program, piloting a program in San Francisco and Palm Beach County, Florida to give retirees cheap internet access. The program would provide senior citizens 10 mbps internet access for $10 per month.The Internet Essentials program now provides internet access to 500,000 low income families with school age children for a low cost, but early versions of the program ran afoul of criticism that it was a PR stunt that ultimately offered sub-broadband speeds while providing a good public face. Criticisms have continued, with a California judge expressing concerns over poor performance of the program.The court wanted Comcast to bump up the speeds to 10 mbps, which is still below the FCC definition of broadband. It appears that the new roll out may be addressing those criticisms. Comcast will offer a free Wi-Fi router to all subscribers of the Internet Essentials program. As less than half of all senior citizens have access to the Internet (and many subsist on fixed incomes) it could be a big boon to improving access, or it could end up just a big boondoggle that provides substandard Internet and poor customer service to seniors.