A new partnership between the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, the Dalio Foundation and the city of Hartford is helping close the digital divide for all residents in the Connecticut city.

The partners have pledged $3.8 million to build a free, citywide wifi network accessible to all residents through a series of outdoor wireless access points across the city. 

The project will be implemented in phases, with the first phase set for completion at the end of 2020. 

The Hartford Foundation for Public Giving and the Dalio Foundation are each contributing $1.5 million to support the project. The city will fund the recurring costs of the project which is approximately $100,000 per year.

“Since the pandemic began, the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving has focused a majority of our support on basic human needs,” said Hartford Foundation President Jay Williams. “With schools and businesses closing and people looking to obtain vital services, access telehealth and educate their children virtually, it became clear that we must expand our definition of basic human needs to respond to the stark digital divide in our region.”

The project offers an example of the extraordinary change that can be made when community foundations partner with other foundations and local government to address important community issues. 

“In 2020, the internet should be provided as a basic utility, accessible to everyone – because it is a basic necessity of life,” said City Council President Maly D. Rosado. “Like so many other inequities, uneven access to internet in Connecticut often reflects deep racial segregation.”

Learn more here.