Coalition aims to close digital divide for HUD households

Internet providers, computer manufacturers and a number of non-profits announced today that they have formed a coalition to help increase U.S. broadband adoption in the poorest households.

The Digital Adoption Coalition is comprised of One Economy, Connected Nation, AT&T, Comcast, Dell, Intel, Time Warner Cable and USTelecom, to name a few.  The coalition aims to provide discounted broadband service, discounted computers and digital literacy training to low-income households by working with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

One Economy filed an application with the National Telecommunications and Information Administration last week to receive broadband stimulus funding to support the digital training, equipment discounts and project administration.

"We see this as a great opportunity to create these ecosystems when you get residents hooked up to broadband and let people experience the merits," said Ken Eisner, managing director of OE Ventures at One Economy.

If the Commerce Department accepts the coalition's application, it would fund two year's worth of broadband service and digital literacy training. None of the funding would go to the broadband providers, who have agreed to offer free installation and 50 percent discounts on modem costs and service plans.

As part of this program, Microsoft, Dell and Intel agreed to match federal government spending toward new computer purchases for low-income households.

Working through HUD lets the coalition help low-income families living in multi-family and project-based Section 8 housing get access to broadband, he said.

"The broadband adoption gap in HUD is often the biggest," Eisner told The Hill. "These are the poorest of the poor, where the average family income is slightly north of $12,000 a year."

The coalition has also had preliminary discussions with the Department of Education and the Social Security Administration.

According to the Commerce Department, 35 percent of American households do not have broadband at home and low adoption rates are mostly found in low-income communities.

The Federal Communications Commission's National Broadband Plan called for more public-private partnerships to address the digital divide and adoption gaps.