Mayor Wu Announces Historic Amount of Funding Awarded for Digital Equity in Boston

Mayor Michelle Wu announced that 36 community-based organizations will receive $1,418,000 in grants through the City of Boston’s 2023-24 Digital Equity Fund. This is the largest iteration of the program to date, reaffirming Mayor Wu’s commitment to closing the digital divide in Boston. The City’s Digital Equity Fund, managed by the City’s Digital Equity team in the Department of Innovation and Technology, is funded by the Massachusetts Broadband Institute’s (MBI) Digital Equity Partnerships Program. Since 2023, the City of Boston has received over $5 million in grant funding from the Partnerships Program and has been contributing to the Commonwealth’s broader efforts of ensuring digital equity across the state. This year’s iteration of the Digital Equity Fund awarded grants across three focus areas: Digital Navigation Work, Efforts to Improve Telehealth Programming, and Device Refurbishment Work. Thirty-one organizations were selected for the Digital Navigation focus area, each receiving awards of $20,000 to $30,000 to be used over one year. These organizations will provide assistance with affordable internet access, device acquisition, technical skills, and application support. Two organizations were selected for the Telehealth focus area, each receiving awards of $250,000 to use over two years. Three organizations were selected for the Device Refurbishment focus area, receiving awards of $50,000 each to use over two years. They will execute programs providing workforce development, training, and other activities while refurbishing devices that are provided to underserved Boston residents.