Detroit’s roughly 90,000 low-income residents are at risk of losing federal discounts on internet access, potentially undermining the city’s efforts to address the digital divide.
The Affordable Connectivity Program provides $30 per month for internet service and up to $100 in one-time funds to help purchase a laptop, computer, or tablet. In all, an estimated 23 million Americans could lose their discounts in April unless Congress provides additional funding, according to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
The City of Detroit’s Office of Digital Equity and Inclusion is wrapping up a two-week campaign to enroll 20,000 residents through in-person events. The last day to apply is February 7th (Wednesday). The FCC is scaling back programs in anticipation of a “funding cliff.” A bill providing $7 billion in additional funding was introduced in the U.S. House and Senate in January, but it’s unclear whether Congress will act before time runs out.
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“This is going to jeopardize a lot of our work,” said Kristin Burkett, director of digital equity in Detroit. “It’s going to be tough for people who have been using this for the past two years.”
Burkett said the city is trying to get as many people registered as possible in case more funds are allocated. Burkett said he doesn’t expect there will be additional application periods, but he expects discounts will be available to enrollees if Congress approves funding to continue the program. Stated. U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Ann Arbor) is a co-sponsor of the House bill.
Residents should have been notified by mail of the expiration date by the FCC in January. The city is notifying Detroit residents who have signed up for text alerts and plans to post the information online later this week, but it does not yet have a list of addresses for those who have signed up.
Burkett is working with internet service providers such as XFinity/Comcast, T-Mobile, Verizon and 123NET to offer affordable programs, but once the funding runs out, many Detroiters will not have access to the internet. He said it may disappear.
Burkett said it costs about $32 million each year to continue the program in Detroit. She said that’s too much to cover using federal American Rescue Plan Act funds.
This discount is available to households at or below 200% of the federal poverty line, which equates to $49,720 for a family of three. Residents can sign up at his GetInternet.gov or at in-person events remaining this week.
- Tuesday, February 6th: 1 to 4 p.m. and 5 to 7 p.m. at Patton Recreation Center, Ruskey Recreation Center, and Northwest Activities Recreation Center.
- Wednesday, February 7th: 1-4 p.m. and 5-7 p.m. at the Northwest Activities Recreation Center.
In 2015, the Federal Communications Commission recognized Detroit’s digital divide as “the most extreme in the nation.” At that time, 38% of residents and 63% of low-income households did not have broadband internet at home.
According to the latest census data, approximately 20% of Detroit households do not have internet coverage, and 42% of Detroit households do not have access to high-speed internet. Low-income Detroiters were less likely to have access to the internet, with 33% of households with incomes less than $20,000 not having internet coverage, compared to 8% of households with incomes of $75,000 or more.
“The socio-economic disadvantage[of low-income people not having access to the internet]is going to have a real impact in the long term in terms of health and economic stability,” Burkett said.
Burkett, a Detroit native, has served as the city’s second director of digital equity and inclusion for nearly a year. She visited the Northwest Activities Center on Monday to help residents register for the discount program.
Detroit is part of the National Digital Inclusion Alliance, a community coalition lobbying Congress to allocate more funding to the program. Burkett said the city has not had direct contact with members of Michigan’s congressional delegation.
Burkett said the city is also working on plans to build its own high-speed internet network. The city has shelved a pilot project launched by her predecessor, Joshua Edmonds, to install fiber-optic lines in the Hope Village neighborhood. Burkett said the program appears to be too expensive.
“Rather than doing that, we’re looking at a city-wide strategy,” Burkett said.
