Eight years ago, Detroit had one of the worst Internet access rates of any major American city, with roughly 40 percent of residents lacking broadband, according to the Federal Communications Commission.
Then-FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler visited the Motor City in 2015 and wrote about the crisis and the need for leaders in places like Detroit and other communities to work together to address this important issue.
This matter was even more important in 2015 and even more so today because people need access to broadband as much as access to electricity and water to thrive in today’s technology-driven world.
The business and nonprofit community here heeded the call, and as tech leaders jumped in to help thousands more people in the D have access to technology not just at work but at home, Call attention.
The PGA’s Rocket Mortgage Classic event at Detroit Golf Club has made bridging the digital divide a major cause for its community, raising $3.8 million over the past three years, organizers announced.
Additionally, the Gilbert Family Foundation and The Rocket Community Fund have made digital engagement a key part of their joint $500 million 10-year commitment to the Detroit community, first announced in 2021.
The organizations also joined forces Oct. 2-6 at Detroit Digital Inclusion Week held at Wayne State University in Detroit. Hosted by Connect 313, hundreds of people attended the event to learn more about the digital divide and programs to help.
Vittoria Katanski, director of Connect 313, said her organization was founded with funding from the 2020 Rocket Mortgage Classic, a result of the pandemic that highlighted the need because many Detroiters lacked the necessary devices, Internet access or skills. did not have. Engage in the rapidly changing landscape of education, employment and healthcare.
Money raised through the Rocket Mortgage Classic continues to fund Connect 313 operations, which helps coordinate digital inclusion in the city.
“Spurred by this pandemic, Rocket Mortgage created the Changing the Course initiative through the 2020 Rocket Mortgage Classic PGA Tour event,” said Laura Granman, executive director of the Gilbert Family Foundation and Rocket Community Fund. Since then, the initiative has helped Detroit. Significant progress in bridging Detroit’s digital divide.
Detroit also has more than 135,800 households signed up for Internet service through a national resident access program.
One of our biggest examples of success, Grannemann added, is Detroit’s engagement with the federal Affordable Connection Program, which offers up to $30 a month for Internet service to eligible families and a one-time rebate of up to $100 for the purchase of a digital device. Gives. .
In addition, more than 75,000 devices, including desktop and laptop computers, have been distributed to Detroiters, and Connect 313 has expanded its network of technology centers, nonprofits providing digital lessons and outreach from five to 22 in the city’s neighborhoods.
Christine Burkett was hired nine months ago as director of digital payroll for Detroit and is focused on bringing more people into the tech-rich future.
Our mission is to close the digital divide by strengthening community engagement and inclusive efforts through strategic initiatives, partnerships and innovative programming that foster a sense of belonging, collaboration and positive change, said Burkett.
He added that our team is focused on implementing a 3-5 year strategic plan, working with internal and external partners to integrate how to bridge the digital divide in the city of Detroit around access, affordability, adoption and use of the Internet.
By launching the City of Detroit’s Equity and Inclusion Basic Digital Literacy YouTube channel, Burkett said staff have taken an outside-the-box approach to providing residents with 24-hour access to digital literacy courses.
The new channel is slated to launch Nov. 1 and will feature weekly digital literacy PSAs, resume writing on Wednesdays and basic digital literacy for senior citizens on Thursdays, he said.
With progress made, there is concern that ACP, the Federal Communications Commission’s benefit program that helps low-income Americans connect to the Internet that was launched during the global pandemic, will likely expire in 2024 if no action is taken. It will exhaust its budget to maintain it.
What will happen to the 135,800 plus households in Detroit who signed up?
We want to ensure that residents receive as much support as they can through the program and will also work to ensure that they are connected to additional resources available through the City and Connect 313 so that they do not lose access to Internet services. addition
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Contact Carol Cain at 248-355-7126 or clcain@cbs.com. He is the senior producer/host of Michigan Matters, which airs Sundays at 5:30 a.m. on CBS Detroit and Sundays at noon on Detroit 50 WKBD. It also airs weekdays at 8pm on CBSdetroit.com and the CBSdetroit app. See Dennis Illich, David Dolio, Susie Avery, Laura Granman, Christine Burkett and Vittoria Katanski on this Sunday show.
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