Earlier this week, the Chattanooga City Council voted unanimously to fund the City’s portion of HCS EdConnect, our landmark initiative to connect every family with a child on free or reduced lunch to our world class Gig internet at no cost.
High-speed broadband is a baseline need for every family. For work, for school, for our quality of life, the internet is not a luxury — it’s a utility. Unfortunately, even here in “Gig City,” too many families are on the far side of the digital divide.
Now, we are bridging that divide once and for all. The City joins terrific partners like Hamilton County Government, Hamilton County Schools, EPB, BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Foundation, and the Smart City Venture Fund to become the first community in the country to make this happen. As of this week, EPB has connected more than 6,770 young people to the Gig -- and that number is growing every day.
The City Council also voted to accept some additional federal funding to assist with a couple of major repaving projects and new HUD dollars to assist families that are still recovering from the April tornadoes. My thanks to our Council members for their partnership and support.
The U.S. Census deadline and the November elections are both fast approaching, and there is a lot you can do to make sure our community is ready. Tonight, on Facebook Live, I’ll be talking with Jheanelle Wilkins from the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights about why staying engaged matters so much right now and how we can work together to make our voices heard, even during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Join us tonight, Thursday, September 24, at 5:30 p.m. ET by clicking here.
Please stay safe, wear your mask, and I’ll see you soon.
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