Access to reliable and affordable internet in the Fresno area has been an uphill battle for years — if not decades.
Population growth has only further driven up the price for quality connection. Marginalized communities face even greater challenges accessing the internet. Comcast has committed to rectify these issues as part of a critical mission taken up locally by new Area Vice President of Field Operations Justin Minniti.
A former Director of Field Operations on the East Coast, Minniti was recently promoted to Area Vice President of Field Operations in Fresno, overseeing a team of 300 employees.
His No. 1 priority in his first year in the Valley is expanding crucial internet service where it’s needed most.
“One of the exciting things about coming to the Fresno market is the growth opportunity for our network,” said Minniti, “We have to expand our network into areas that may not have our services.”
Disparities in internet connectivity were laid bare during the COVID-19 pandemic, when all schooling went online. Comcast’s solution? Lift Zones — free, WiFi-connected areas hosted in community centers nationwide.
“Lift Zones were developed to provide children with an opportunity to do their schoolwork at a safe location, even when the pandemic was at its highest. Once it was safe for kids to go back in person, Lift Zones remained open to allow families to go there, use the internet at no cost, acquire digital skills, and just get familiar with the internet itself,” said Minniti.
Comcast has committed $1 billion to advance digital equity and Lift Zones are a part of that commitment.
The program has launched over 1,250 Lift Zones nationwide, 16 of which are in Fresno County. Several are in the most rural areas. The most recent Lift Zone was created at Saint Rest Baptist Church in Southwest Fresno in 2022, all in the name of making internet access a right instead of a privilege.
This great display of need is what pushed lawmakers into providing solutions, explicitly for families deprived of a strong internet connection due to their low income status.
The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) was signed into law in November 2021, providing families access to high-speed internet at an income-based price. However, the ACP’s last month of being fully funded was April 2024.
Comcast’s Internet Essentials Program has been going since 2011, with no end in sight.
“There’s a $14.95 program for Internet Essentials that provides high speed internet to families, and there’s also an Internet Essentials Plus,” said Minniti, “That’s a way that we’re able to help these families out as the ACP program starts to expire. This is something that Comcast has continued to provide.”
Above all else, Minniti wants his new community to know that fast, reliable, and most importantly affordable internet is just within reach.
“We just want to get louder to make sure our customers know we’re still there to help provide these opportunities for them,” the 20-year Comcast veteran said.
He plans to be as involved in the community as possible, bringing the internet into every home and listening to concerns from the community.
“I love to get involved with the communities, whether it’s to help impact certain areas or help revitalize certain areas,” said Minniti.
He’s been recalling a story about a new customer, a pastry shop owner in Planada, a community near Merced, who was having trouble staying online because of the lack of reliable internet in the area, which means problems for customers. Comcast was able to expand its services to his area last Fall, making a night-and-day difference in his business.
“He was ecstatic about the reliability, the speed of making sure those transactions happen without flaw, Minniti said. “Bringing that excitement to these customers, whether it’s residential or commercial based — I love seeing those happy situations happen.”
