In 2019, the latest data available, almost 70% of students in Detroit did not have access to the internet in their homes. Census data shows that 1 in 4 Detroiters lack access at home, U.S. Rep. Brenda Lawrence said.
"I'm working with this amazing team to close this digital divide in Congress. Most recently, we passed and signed into law the bipartisan infrastructure law which includes $65 billion to help ensure that every American has access to reliable, high-speed internet," the Southfield Democrat said. "Across the country, access to the internet is no longer a luxury, it is a necessity that is critical to us here locally and on a national level."
The roundtable discussion held at Detroit's Cass Technical High School included Federal Communications Commission Chair Jessica Rosenworcel, Michigan Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II, Detroit's Director of Digital Inclusion Joshua Edmonds, Detroit Public School Community District educators and students. Their discussion focused on affordable internet access and the Affordable Connectivity Program.
The Affordable Connectivity Program builds off the Emergency Connectivity Fund, which kicked off last year by providing a $50 a month subsidy that 82,000 Detroit households took advantage of, said Detroit's Digital Inclusion Director Joshua Edmonds. The Emergency Connectivity Fund, a $7.17 billion program, utilizes federal American Rescue Plan Act funds to help schools and libraries during the pandemic.
The city is looking at the Hope Village neighborhood to build and deploy an open-access fiber network after 6,700 residents suffered a 45-day internet outage last year.
"It's a pilot but at the same time, as we get these larger funds, we hope to expand it out to other parts of the city that have had historic disinvestment and to do it in the name of digital equity where our profit is a public good," Edmonds said.
Edmonds said the Osborn neighborhood may be next; however, it's contingent on the continuation of state funding.
Rosenworcel said to solve the digital divide, they must create affordability and ensure Michigan's infrastructure is able to deliver to city residents to rural residents.
"We're going to use this pandemic and crisis to fix it," Rosenworcel said of the lack of access in Detroit. "We have more programs and coordination than we've ever had before and more commitment. I saw that today and have an impatient optimism right now that we are going to close the digital divide."
The discussion was held after President Joe Biden announced earlier this month a plan to expand access to affordable high-speed internet access. The administration secured commitments from leading internet providers to "either increase speeds or cut prices, making sure they all offer eligible households high-speed, high-quality internet plans for no more than $30/month."
More than 1,300 providers are participating in the Affordable Connectivity Program, including 90 in Michigan.
Based on 2020 mapping, 220,000 households across the state still lack broadband service.
Households qualify for the program based on their income or through their participation in federal programs, like Pell Grants, Medicaid, or Supplemental Security Income. Agencies that manage these programs will be coordinating an effort to reach out to households that qualify. The Biden administration is working with state officials to send text messages to households that qualify in Michigan as well as Philadelphia, Mesa, Arizona, New York City and Massachusetts.
Gilchrist said of Michigan's $250 million infrastructure plan, which was signed earlier this year, a fraction of it is committed to building out more connectivity in targeted areas to support internet access. It includes a $5.2 million mapping project to determine where to deploy recourses.
"This will support and enable more infrastructure to be built out in the neighborhoods to meet the needs of folks living in cities, suburbs and rural communities," Gilchrist said.
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