Internet Service Provider Starry is set to launch their service at the end of August.
When the pandemic sent everyone home and life moved online, some families were left behind. One out of five households in Franklin County “did not have a cable modem, digital subscriber line, or fibre Internet accounts in 2019” according to the Franklin Country Digital Equity Commission (FCDEC).
Lack of digital literacy and devices are surely problems, but the cost is a big barrier to connectivity.
“Households with income below $35,000 were about one-quarter of all Franklin County households in 2019, but they accounted for nearly 70 per cent of those with no internet subscription,” according to the FCDEC.
Until August 15, Columbus residents can sign on to Starry’s Voyager Early Adoption program to receive a 50 per cent discount on fast symmetrical internet service. That’s $25 for 200 mbps upload and download. Until you move or change plans, you’ll pay only $25 a month for your internet.
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“The pandemic really opened our eyes about how tightly linked affordable housing and affordable home internet are,” said Carlie Boos of the Affordable Housing Alliance of Central Ohio. “Both are essential for kids to excel in school, for parents to access the job market, and for families struggling with housing insecurity to easily apply for rent help from the Impact Hope Fund.”