March 2021 Media Brief Reflections

My articles for the March Media Brief focus on Comcast’s investments in Philadelphia, Net Neutrality, and Philadelphia’s vaccine rollout. All three articles were chosen because they deal with internet infrastructure in Pennsylvania in varying ways. The articles were found on Google News by searching for “Philadelphia Internet”, “Pennsylvania Internet”, and “Comcast Internet Essentials” (which is the name of their low income internet plan). Throughout my months of contributing to the Media Briefs, I have found that local news websites such as the Philadelphia Inquirer, CBS Philly, and the Philadelphia Business Journal contain the most detailed and interesting articles on internet infrastructure in Philadelphia and Pennsylvania. Since May 2020, my focus for the Media Briefs have been on the digital divide and internet infrastructure. Things such as electricity, water, heating, and cooling are wide reaching in energy rights discourse, so I wanted to focus on a lesser talked about, but still important service. We are seeing politicians and activists across both parties call for the internet to be regulated as a utility and in some cases, nationalized. In all three of my articles, internet access is described as something necessary for daily life and for health. I chose my first article, Philly is Trying to Bridge Vaccine Gaps by Targeting Hard-hit Neighborhoods. Finally, Activists and Experts Say, by Jason Laughlin and Jonathan Lai to serve as the most direct example of this, because, until a few weeks ago, not having access to the internet meant you were without a vaccine for the deadliest pandemic since the Spanish Flu. Energy rights discourse focuses on how inadequate access to water, electricity, gas, and heat directly put an individual's health at risk, so finding an equivalent with the internet is important in order to analyze internet infrastructure through the framework of energy rights. My second article, PA Senate Democrats Joined House Democrats for Net Neutrality Policy Hearing, was chosen to discuss and analyze how the internet is regulated, and how it is different from other utility companies. Net neutrality’s removal in 2017 was the most impactful rollback of an internet regulation in decades, as it allowed internet service providers to prioritize certain websites and data more than others. If we consider the internet as a form of energy, then it could be argued that it is the least regulated energy in the United States. My final article for the month, Comcast Commits $1B to Low-income Internet Essentials Program by Kennedy Rose was chosen because Comcast is to Philadelphia Internet what PCEO is to Philadelphia Electric. Our team has conducted a significant amount of research on PECO’s low income programs, energy assistance, and rebates. Throughout my time collecting artifacts for our monthly media briefs, I have learned a lot about Comcast’s Internet Essentials Program which offers internet service to eligible low-income families for $9.95 a month. The program has evolved and changed rapidly throughout the pandemic and continues to change. I also find the name interesting, as it references something we have commonly heard our research participants say. Energy is essential to life in modern times, but it is only a right if you pay for it. Comcast is offering an essential service for a price.