More than 4,500 residents at 18 properties owned by the Columbus
Metropolitan Housing Authority (CMHA) will soon receive free access
to high-speed broadband service through a new collaboration with
Charter Communications, Inc. and its Spectrum Community Solutions
organization.
Leaders for CMHA and Spectrum hailed the agreement as an
innovative solution to help an estimated 1,800 low-wage-earning
households in the Columbus area bridge central Ohio’s “digital
divide,” which is the gap between those who have ready access to
computers and the internet and those who do not. More than half of
CMHA's 4,000-plus apartments are set aside for families earning 30%
or less of the area median income, approximately $26,500 annually
for a family of four.
“Our new agreement with Spectrum reflects CMHA’s commitment to
providing our residents with the dignity of access to internet
service that is affordable and available for all uses, including
school, work, telehealth and social media,” said CMHA President and
CEO Charles Hillman.
“This collaboration is made possible due to the financial
contribution of CMHA and the decision of our board of commissioners
to deliver a service to the residents of our affordable units that
today is as essential as water, sewer, gas and electricity,”
Hillman said.
Spectrum will provide each CMHA affordable residential unit with
Spectrum Internet, including starting speeds of 200 Mbps with
Spectrum in-home WiFi and no data caps or modem fees. The service
will also include Spectrum WiFi access in common areas, as well as
connectivity supporting additional security measures at these
properties.
Beginning later this month, Spectrum will work with CMHA
management to schedule rapid installation, deploying teams of
technicians to activate service quickly in each unit.
“This collaboration helps close the digital divide by providing
high-quality, high-speed broadband for families who need reliable
connectivity,” said Adam Ray, Executive Vice President of Spectrum
Community Solutions. “Our team is committed to working with
Columbus Metropolitan Housing Authority to ensure our dedicated
service organization delivers the very best onboarding experience
to residents.”
A 2020 report commissioned by The Columbus Foundation and
conducted by the Columbus branch office of AECOM, an international
civil infrastructure research and planning company, reported that
even in the lowest income areas of Columbus, there is at least one
high-speed internet provider and adequate broadband infrastructure
for service.
However, the study found that gaps in access were largely due to
a variety of barriers, including economic challenges, technology
literacy and lack of computers or other devices.
The CMHA collaboration with Spectrum aligns with the report’s
conclusion that “long-term, public-private collaborations and new
technologies will be necessary components to ensure high-speed
internet access to all community members.”
Spectrum Community Solutions offers industry-leading wired and
wireless broadband and video services — including gigabit
connections — to residents of apartments, off-campus student
housing, senior residences, RV parks and marinas throughout
Spectrum’s 41-state service area.
While the digital divide existed before the spread of
coronavirus, Columbus officials said that the pandemic has exposed
the issue of lack of access to high-speed internet even more.
CMHA’s collaboration with Spectrum will enable hard-working,
low-income households to overcome that burden, especially students,
according to Franklin County Board of Commissioners President Kevin
Boyce.
“I applaud the leadership that CMHA and Spectrum are
demonstrating in Franklin County by expanding access to high-speed
internet to underserved communities,” Boyce said.
“I believe public policy and the actions that we take can be the
catalyst to changing long-term situations such as the digital
divide that negatively impacts the ability of students to learn and
succeed in the classroom and in their community,” Boyce added. “The
new CMHA-Spectrum collaboration definitely moves the needle on
improving the quality of life for CMHA residents.”
The Federal Communications Commission’s Tenth Measuring
Broadband America Fixed Broadband Report highlighted how Spectrum
is outperforming benchmarks and delivering superior services to our
customers. Spectrum Internet exceeded 100% of advertised speeds
during peak times on all speeds measured — three downstream speeds
and two upstream speeds.
About CMHA
CMHA helps people access affordable housing through
collaborative partnerships, promote neighborhood revitalization and
assist residents in accessing needed social services. CMHA has more
than doubled its portfolio of housing over that last five years,
including over $200 million in investment in 2020. We own over
4,000 units of mixed income and affordable housing and through our
Housing Choice Voucher and Project Based Rental Assistance Programs
provide rental assistance to more than 250,000 Ohio and Washington
DC residents. CMHA has been a Section Eight Management Assessment
Program (SEMAP) High Performer for the last ten years. More than
half of CMHA's 4,000+ apartments are set aside for families earning
30% or less of the area median income, approximately $26,500
annually for a family of four.
About Spectrum
Spectrum is a suite of advanced communications services offered
by Charter Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ:CHTR), a leading broadband
connectivity company and cable operator serving more than 31
million customers in 41 states. Over an advanced communications
network, the company offers a full range of state-of-the-art
residential and business services including Spectrum Internet®, TV,
Mobile and Voice.
For small and medium-sized companies, Spectrum Business®
delivers the same suite of broadband products and services coupled
with special features and applications to enhance productivity,
while for larger businesses and government entities, Spectrum
Enterprise provides highly customized, fiber-based solutions.
Spectrum Reach® delivers tailored advertising and production for
the modern media landscape. The company also distributes
award-winning news coverage, sports and high-quality original
programming to its customers through Spectrum Networks and Spectrum
Originals. More information about Charter can be found at
corporate.charter.com.
Mike Nowlin
Columbus Metropolitan Housing Authority (CMHA)
989-450-0855
nowlin@gudmarketing.com
Mike Pedelty
Spectrum
816-985-8552
Michael.Pedelty@Charter.com
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