DURANT, Okla. — Calling the Internet a 21st century necessity, President Barack Obama on Wednesday unveiled a program to bring faster Internet connections to more low-income households, particularly to help students living in public and assisted housing stay ahead in school.
Under ConnectHome, the public, private and nonprofit sectors have pledged to work together to provide high-speed connections and digital devices to more families at lower cost.
Cox Communications is one of those companies. Cox will partner with local public housing authorities to offer home internet service for $9.95 per month to eligible families with school-aged children.
Cox Communications is a subsidiary of Atlanta-based Cox Enterprises, which also owns WSB-TV.
More than 90 percent of households headed by a college graduate have Internet access, Obama said. But fewer than half of low-income households have similar access.
"In this digital age, when you can apply for a job, take a course, pay your bills ... with a tap of your phone, the Internet is not a luxury. It's a necessity," Obama said.
The 27 cities the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development selected for ConnectHome include Atlanta and Albany, Georgia.