(WBBM NEWSRADI0) -- Chicago is looking to close the digital divide with the formation of a “Digital Equity Council" and dedicating more resources towards this issue.
To hear the mayor’s office tell it, as many as 20 percent of Chicago households don’t have internet access and more than 12 percent don’t have computers.
It says the areas with the lowest connectivity rates are 90 percent black with median household incomes averaging less than $27,000.
“Far too many Americans, especially Black Americans, remain on the wrong side of the digital divide. From the West Side to the South Side, and all-around Chicago, this leaves them unable to fully participate in our modern society, including the many professional, educational, health, and social opportunities that the Internet offers,” said Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Commissioner Geoffrey Starks in a statement.
“I firmly support Mayor Lightfoot’s efforts to create a community-driven effort to eradicate this challenge. We know that community is one of the strongest sources of trusted information about the many programs currently available to help drive digital equity, including the Federal Communications Commission’s Affordable Connectivity Program.”
Candace Moore, the city’s Chief Equity Officer, also addressed the issue of equity across the city's different communities.
"Equity is both an outcome and a process that results in fair and just access to opportunity and resources that provide everyone with the ability to thrive," she said in a statement.
This effort builds on the work of Connected Chicago, which provided internet access to Chicago Public Schools students learning from home.
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