A group of San Francisco city leaders and community organizations are encouraging more low-income households to enroll in free or discounted high-speed internet services.
Nearly 124,000 San Francisco residents are eligible for discounted or free internet through the federal Affordable Connectivity Program, but only 32,000 are enrolled. The Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development, among two dozen community partners, are hoping to change that.
Launched May 11, the Connect San Francisco initiative aims to “close the digital divide” by informing residents about available internet services and making it easier to enroll.
“Without high-speed internet access at home, students can’t complete schoolwork outside the classroom, and households can’t work remotely, access health care, job training, the social safety net, or critical government services,” said Reymon LaChaux, digital equity manager at MOHCD.
Under the Affordable Connectivity Program, households with incomes at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty line that receive other government services like Lifeline, WIC and free school lunches are eligible to receive up to $30 off of their internet bills each month. Funds are administered by the Federal Communications Commission, as allocated through the Congressional budget.
“Without high-speed internet access at home, students can’t complete schoolwork outside the classroom, and households can’t work remotely, access health care, job training, the social safety net, or critical government services.”
Reymon LaChaux, digital equity manager at Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development
National nonprofit EducationSuperHighway, which is working in partnership with San Francisco, will launch trainings for community organizations so they can inform their clients of the available services and assist them with enrollment.
“Every household deserves the opportunity to improve their quality of life with access to high-speed internet. The Affordable Connectivity Program can help connect families struggling to afford broadband and deliver tangible change for our most under-resourced communities,” said Evan Marwell, CEO of EducationSuperHighway. “We must work with community-based organizations and trusted institutions to reach those who are eligible. We applaud the City of San Francisco for its work to amplify awareness and enrollment in this critical benefit.”
The San Francisco Public Library launched its first Affordable Connectivity Program enrollment event this past week during its SF Tech Week community fair that offered hundreds of San Franciscans with classes and workshops to improve their skills in technology.
“The San Francisco Public Library is dedicated to closing the digital divide. As one of the largest free providers of high-speed internet in the community, the library provides free computer and Wi-Fi access and, of course, digital literacy training,” said City Librarian Michael Lambert. “People who take advantage of the ACP’s home internet subsidy will have 24-hour access to thousands of library offerings.”
Residents can learn more about the enrollment process and their eligibility at the recently launched website, GetACP.org.