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Southwest Detroit Households to Get $10 Internet Through New Community-Led Partnership

July 17, 2025

The Equitable Internet Initiative (EII) and Michigan Central have launched a partnership called the Southwest Equitable Internet Initiative to provide affordable high-speed internet for $10 per month to residents in Detroit's 48216 and 48209 ZIP codes. This initiative addresses a significant digital divide, as over one-third of Detroit households lacked broadband access in 2015, with low-income areas being disproportionately affected. What makes this program unique is its community-centered approach, training and employing local residents as Digital Stewards who build and maintain the network infrastructure.

Who is affected

  • Residents in Detroit's 48216 and 48209 ZIP codes
  • Low-income households (particularly those earning under $20,000 annually)
  • Families previously relying only on mobile phones or school-issued hotspots
  • Renters (who outnumber homeowners in Southwest Detroit)
  • Small businesses, artists, youth creators, and community organizations in Southwest Detroit

What action is being taken

  • EII and Michigan Central are providing affordable high-speed wireless internet for $10/month with no contracts
  • Local residents are being trained and employed as Digital Stewards to install and maintain the network
  • Equipment is being mounted on The Station building to provide signal to 4,500+ homes
  • The program is enrolling households on a rolling basis
  • The network is being built with disaster resilience features to maintain stability during power outages

Why it matters

  • One-third of Detroit households lacked broadband access in 2015, amounting to 95,000 homes
  • Low-income households were eight times more likely to have no internet compared to higher-income households
  • Internet access is essential for education, job applications, healthcare, and civic engagement
  • The community-based approach empowers residents and eliminates dependency on providers that never prioritized them
  • The initiative directly addresses long-standing inequities in broadband deployment, which has historically favored higher-income areas

What's next

  • The plan is to connect 200 homes each year for five years, eventually reaching 675 households across the designated ZIP codes
  • Enrollment is ongoing, with new households added on a rolling basis

Read full article from source: Michigan Chronicle