Students petition Comcast, asking for better internet service during COVID-19 pandemic

On Tuesday students with SOMOS (Students Organizing a Multicultural Open Society held a press conference outside Baltimore City Hall asking Comcast to help close the digital divide.

A PUSH BY ONE GROUP OFSTUDENTS AND LAWMAKERS TOCLOSE THE DIGITAL DIVIDE.STUDENTS AND TEACHERS WITHBALTIMORE CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLSSAY INTERNET CONNECTIVITY IS ABIG PROBLEM FOR REMOTELEARNING.

NOW THEY'RECHALLENGING ONE MAJOR PROVIDERTO DO BETTER.

FRANCA MULLER/BALTIMORE CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLSTEACHER: From the teacher'sperspective it's reallyfrightening because you'renoticing that students, thatwould never miss aday, ever,all of a sudden you haven'tseen them for weeks.

FRANCAMULLER PAZ IS A SPANISHTEACHER AT BALTIMORE CITYCOLLEGE.

SHE SAYS SHE'S SEEINGFEWER STUDENTS LOG IN REMOTELYSINCE DISTANCE LEARNING BECAMETHE NEW NORM.

SHE SAY MANYBALTIMORE PUBLIC SCHOOLSTUDENTS CAN'T STAY CONNECTED.FRANCA MULLER/ BALTIMORE CITYPUBLIC SCHOOLS TEACHER:Students sometimes login for acouple of seconds, 30 secondsand 30 seconds 15 seconds it'sjust her.

It's just theirsignal isn't stable enough tokeep them online constantlycoming in and out so they'reconstantly coming in and out.SHE SAYS ITS A PROBLEM FORSTUDENTS ACROSS BALTIMORE CITYWHOSE FAMILIES LACK RESOURCESAND ARE USING COMCAST'SINTERNET ESSENTIALS PROGRAM.IT'S A TWO MONTH FREE PACKAGEAIMED AT HELPING LOW INCOMEFAMILIES STAY CONNECTED.

BUTTHE PROMOTIONAL OFFER ISCOMING TO AN END AND MULLERPAZ AND STUDENTS WITH SOMASSTUDENTS ORGANIZING AMULTICULTURAL OPEN SOCIETY ARECHALLENGING COMCAST ASKINGTHEM TO DO BETTER.

YASHIRAVALENZUELA/ BALTIMORE CITYCOLLEGE JUNIOR: There are alot of people here in the citywho don't have enough moneyfor luxuries like the Internetand of course.

Of courseComcast created the Internetessentials plan to combat thatbut what they're offeringIsn't enough for The studentshere in the city that's whatwe're fighting for, for abetter program.

LAST WEEKSOMAS SUBMITTED THIS LETTER TOCOMCAST WITH THREE REQUESTS.FIRST THEY WANT A PERMANENTINCREASE IN INTERNETESSENTIALS UPLOAD AND DOWNLOADSPEEDS.

SECOND━ THEY WANT THEINTERNET ESSENTIALS OFFEREXTENDED UNTIL 60 DAYS AFTERPUBLIC SCHOOLS FULLY REOPENED.LASTLY THEY'RE DEMANDINGXFINITY HOTSPOTS BE FREE TOTHE PUBLIC UNTIL 60DAYS AFTERTHE FULL RESTORATION OFSCHOOL.

THESE DEMANDS WERESHARED OUTSIDE BALTIMORE CITYHALL DURING A PRESS CONFERENCETUESDAY.

COUNCILMAN ZEKECOHEN/(D) 1st DISTRICT,BALTIMORE CITY: Today we arestanding up not just for thechildren of our city but forthe children of the UnitedStates.

This is a nationalcampaign and we intend to win.DELEGATE STEPHANIE SMITH/ (D)BALTIMORE CITY I just askeall of us to really thinkreally hard about the kind offuture we want for the city ofBaltimore, for the state ofMaryland and it's one wherepeople do not have to requestadequate, fair and equitableaccess to the Internet.COMCAST DID RESPOND TO THESTUDENT BASED LETTER.

WHILE NOPROMISES WERE MADE THE COMPANYOUTLINED WHAT ITS DOING TOHELP FAMILIES DURING THECOVI━19 PANDEMIC.

STUDENTSSAY THE FIGHT ISNT OVER.

DAVEDETLING, WMAR 2 NEWS.YOU CAN FIND THE