Philadelphia’s proposed Comcast franchise deal is already making waves nationally.
The City of Seattle was slated to approve its own 1o-year Comcast agreement last Monday, but upon hearing of the terms of the City of Philadelphia’s 15-year Comcast agreement, which drastically expands internet access for low-income Philadelphians, Seattle went back to Comcast to ask for more, according to a Seattle Times report.
“Having seen the commitment toward equity and affordability in Philadelphia, we believe the people of Seattle deserve the same level of commitment from Comcast,” reads a letter from Seattle Mayor Edward Murray and Councilman Bruce Harrell to Comcast.
It worked.
Over the weekend, Seattle secured an expansion of Comcast’s low-cost internet option to include low-income senior citizens, plus a larger digital equity grant and a commitment from Comcast to help housing-insecure youth get laptops.
Comcast itself described Philly’s franchise deal as “unprecedented.” Will it now set a precedent for other franchises across the country?
After nearly a year of negotiations, Philly’s Comcast franchise deal is up for a City Council vote this Thursday.
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