Detroit city officials on Monday introduced eight new technology centers in the city. This is the first of dozens of technology centers aimed at closing the digital divide for the city’s 200,000 residents who struggle to connect to the internet.
Each tech hub offers everything from free WiFi and device loan programs to IT talent training and technical support. The City Information Technology Department has launched an online map to help residents search and find certified tech hubs near them and learn about the digital resources they offer.
Kristin Burkett, director of digital equity and inclusion for the city of Detroit, said this at the Boys & Girls Club of Southeast Michigan on Tireman Avenue, one of the certified technology hubs near where she grew up. announced the launch. Burkett said the goal is to eventually have 35 certified technology hubs, five in each district of the city.
With more than 220,000 residents living below the federal poverty level, “providing training in basic digital literacy skills is essential, otherwise we will not be able to expand these job opportunities.” Mr. Burkett said. “Likewise, we want to ensure that we offer his IT talent training in each of these technology hubs.”
The hubs, of which six more are applying, are being funded with $535,000 in federal pandemic relief funds through the American Rescue Plan Act.
To qualify as a hub, an organization must apply and meet certain criteria determined by Burkett and his team. All locations certified by the department will have a flyer posted at the entrance with the City of Detroit seal.
“Bridging the digital divide starts with access and ends with closing socio-economic disadvantage,” Burkett said. “It all started when a woman was at a bus stop in the rain waiting to board her three buses to go to the bank to deposit a check. I didn’t know you could do that with your cell phone.”
It’s been 10 years since the Federal Communications Commission began calling Detroit’s digital divide “the most extreme in the nation.” In 2015, 38% of the city’s residents did not have broadband internet access at home. For low-income households, the offline rate was a whopping 63%.
About 15%, or nearly 100,000 people, currently remain offline, according to data provided to the city by major companies such as AT&T and T-Mobile. But Burkett is fact-checking. She worked with the University of Chicago Data Science Institute to coordinate efforts to place computers in neighborhoods to test bandwidth and make independent judgments about the data.
Older homes made of cinderblock in Detroit can have connectivity issues. It’s not an availability issue, Burkett said. Detroit already offers free WiFi in all public buildings and downtown spaces.
The recreation center selected by the city is expected to have an upgraded technology hub by 2026.
“We’re putting a lot of money into making sure they have the latest technology,” Burkett said. “We want to make sure our residents have access to tech support too, because a lot of people can’t go to a Best Buy or an Apple store to get their device repaired…that’s what we do. That’s the next step. Then the teenagers will ask us for an arcade.”
Shannon Dulin, director of community impact for Comcast in Michigan, Indiana and Kentucky, said the company plans to provide more families with reliable computers and neighborhood community centers, gyms and recreational facilities in 2020. He said he has created a “Life Zone” to connect people to free internet access.
Deputy Mayor Todd Bettison said he realized during the pandemic that residents need fair high-speed internet, and more importantly, the devices need to be available and residents need to know how to use them. Ta.
“Having a city-certified technology hub that our residents know is reliable, secure, and has a computerized training course that teaches them how to use it will be the difference between success and failure for our residents,” Bettison said. he said. “Whether they’re working on their schoolwork, finding a job, or accessing telehealth. They’ll also be able to go there to get much-needed digital training.”
More than 90,000 residents take advantage of the $30 internet discount offered through the city. Burkett said the city has distributed 120,000 devices to residents and institutions to enhance their internet.
8 centers available
- Boys and Girls Club of Southeast Michigan, 16500 Tireman Avenue, Detroit, is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
- Detroit Association of Negro Organizations, 12048 Grand River, Detroit, is open daily from 9 a.m. to noon.
- The Adam Buzzell Complex is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. and from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday.
- The Detroit Housing Commission Vision Center will be open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at 1047 E. Canfield in Detroit.
- Patton Recreation Center is located at 2301 Woodmere Street in Detroit and is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Roberto Clemente Center, open Monday through Friday, 1:00 PM to 9:00 PM, 2631 Bagley St., Detroit.
- SAY Detroit Play Center, open Monday through Sunday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Stoudamire Wellness Hub is open Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., 4401 Conner St., Detroit.
srahal@detroitnews.com
