Helping Close Detroit’s Digital Divide Through Project OVERCOME

123NET, Michigan’s largest local fiber internet provider, announced its partnership with the Detroit Community Technology Project (DCTP) and Grace in Action Collectives (GIAC) to bring high-speed, low-cost internet to an underserved Detroit (MI) neighborhood as part of the Equitable Internet Initiative (EII) in an undertaking known as Project OVERCOME. The one-year project aims to create long-term sustainable infrastructure for digital services to the Southwest Detroit neighborhood. In addition to network development, 123NET assists with educational training for local ‘Digital Stewards’ who help demystify technology by teaching and connecting residents to the internet. Detroit has historically been one of the least connected cities in the US, with some estimates suggesting that about 40 percent of city residents lack efficient and affordable home internet access. 123NET is committed to strengthening neighborhoods through its participation in community collaborations designed to improve connectivity and make internet service more widely available. This Project OVERCOME pilot is being led by the DCTP and supported by a number of other organizations including: Grace in Action Collectives, Ford Foundation, Novo Foundation, Detroit Digital Justice Coalition, Southwest Housing Solutions and others.