For U.S. Navy veteran Josh Delano, a civilian career in engineering once felt like a far-fetched dream. But after 11 years of active duty service, he decided to use the G.I. Bill and begin the process of pursuing his degree.
As an electrical engineering student at California State University, Fresno, Delano heavily relied on the internet in order to complete homework and keep up with his courses. Then, when he graduated in 2018, it became his primary outlet for applying for jobs.
Delano credits much of his ability to achieve his goals to having Internet access at home, which he receives through Comcast’s Internet Essentials program. Since launching in 2011, the program has delivered low-cost high-speed Internet to more than six million people, with a 2018 expansion that also includes one million low-income veterans.
“Internet Essentials made it possible for me to finish school. Then, when I started looking for jobs, it’s how I was able to see what was out there and create all of the documents needed to apply.”
According to the United States Census Bureau’s 2016 “American Community Survey,” less than 70% of low-income veterans have Internet access, and about 60% own a computer. Through Internet Essentials, Comcast is helping veterans, like Delano, close the digital divide and provide resources to meet their needs.
Internet Essentials provides service for $9.95 a month, the option to purchase a computer for less than $150, and multiple options for digital literacy training in print, in person or online.
As a father of two, Delano notes that he’s been grateful for the opportunity to work from home at times, thanks to having Internet access. “If my family duties ever get a little heavy, I can just take my work home and communicate from there,” he said. “Plus, my work uses Slack a lot so it makes it easy to communicate without having to be in the office.”
Delano added that he’s far from being the only one at home benefitting from having Internet access.
“My oldest daughter is in middle school and the curriculum is geared toward engineering. She’s always doing homework online and there are webpages for almost all of her classes where she has to submit her work electronically. Without the Internet, she’d be in trouble as far as getting her homework done,” Delano explained.
“And then my younger daughter, she was struggling with her math grade, so we signed her up for the Khan Academy’s online lectures. Through there she was able to do practice quizzes and get extra help. I don’t actually know how we could’ve done that differently without Internet.”
Whether it’s looking back on his academic and professional achievements or looking forward to his daughters’ continued success, Delano is pleased with being an Internet Essentials customer and the benefits that come with it.
“It provides peace of mind knowing there’s a lack of resistance to getting everything I could need that the internet provides, and that lowers stress. It also gives me a sense of stability for the future.”
