Big Cable to offer half-price ‘Net connections to poor kids

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The National Cable & Telecommunications Association (NCTA), cable’s main trade group and lobby shop in Washington, has announced a new plan to bring discounted computers, broadband access, and digital literacy classes to middle-school kids from low-income families. Under the plan, any student who qualifies for a discount under the National School Lunch Program would have access to a subsidized computer, two years of half-price broadband, and free computer classes and tech support. The industry trumpets the ” Adoption Plus Program ” as a targeted way to extend broadband access to more Americans, and it points to the FCC’s own research as showing that Internet adoption among families who make less than $20,000 was only 35 percent.