For learners who are trying to stay home, internet access and bandwidth can be a major obstacle for their communication and learning. They may usually rely on phone data for their own internet access, or there may be a need to limit home use for essentials (which at this point may be for streaming entertainment for children).
Reading OregonLive earlier this week, I saw that Comcast has opened up wifi hotspots throughout the United States.
The hotspots are clustered in urban areas, and I haven’t tried out the “xfinitywifi” network that shows up in range, but here in East Portland and the greater area, the coverage looks promising.
My questions about this service include:
- What speed/amount limits are on these hotspots?
- What tracking/personal/IP address info is being collected?
Comcast is also still offering their Internet Essentials package, which offers basic home internet for $9.95/mo. With the current crisis, they are increasing bandwidth (speed) and offering the first 60 days free.
Caveats: applicants have to provide documentation about low-income status, and the usual (non-crisis) setup time is 3-5 days.