Comcast said 463 families had enrolled in Internet Essentials in Philadelphia, one of its weaker markets for the program. Chicago had the highest participation, with 5,109 families signing up.

Cities where the local school districts are most engaged with the program seem to have higher participation, the company said.

Action United, an activist group of low- and moderate-income residents, has criticized the program, saying parents don't seem to know about it and have a difficult time enrolling in it.

"If you're doing this great program, let's see it work here in Philly," said Elly Porter-Webb, a parent organizer for the group.

Comcast executive vice president David Cohen announced the results during a conference call and said that Comcast would enhance the program to broaden its eligibility and appeal. The early results were exciting, he said, and "our goal is to do better."

The company had answered 435,000 calls on Internet Essentials and mailed 91,000 applications through December, Cohen said.

The biggest impediment seemed to be digital literacy, he said, or what appeared to be "broadband-resistance" among those the program was designed to help.

Since it was launched, Internet Essentials has been available to families whose children qualify for free meals under the National School Lunch Program. Comcast will expand the criteria to include families whose children qualify for reduced-cost lunches under the same program, an additional 300,000 families.

Families with unpaid cable bills don't qualify for the program, but that doesn't seem to be a major inhibitor, Cohen said. About 4 percent of the callers interested in Internet Essentials have past-due cable-TV bills, he said.

Comcast told the Federal Communications Commission it would offer Internet Essentials as part of its deal to purchase NBC Universal Inc. in early 2011.

 

Contact staff writer Bob Fernandez at 215-854-5897 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .