Chicago Hopes Broadband Plan Could Help Other Cities Address Digital Divide

Chicago Hopes Broadband Plan Could Help Other Cities Address Digital Divide. Officials and donors involved in an ambitious plan to provide free broadband access to students in Chicago’s poorest neighborhoods hope that the public-private partnership can be a model for efforts to address digital equity issues elsewhere in the U.S.

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced the Chicago Connected project, which aims to provide free broadband internet for 100,000 children in the city’s largest school district for four years, on June 25. The $50 million plan has been funded by philanthropic donations, the Chicago public school system and city funds.