Councilor Moore presents resolution commending broadband expansion

On Tuesday, Councilor JT Moore presented representatives of Woodlawn United and Open Broadband with a resolution commending them for their continued work to bring an affordable broadband program into the Collegeville community.

Before presenting the resolution, Councilor Moore had this to say:

“Expanding affordable broadband access is vital to the continued economic development and in our communities. It enables small businesses and entrepreneurs to establish an online presence, reach a wider customer base, in a way that is reliable, fast and affordable.

We saw with COVID how important Internet access is for our students as well. Broadband access enables students in our communities to access online resources, participate in virtual classes, and access digital learning materials. It can help bridge the digital divide and establish equal educational opportunities for families who otherwise might not be able to afford high monthly bills for Internet access.

I want to commend the work being done by our partners at Woodlawn United, Open Broadband and everyone else who are helping to make this important project a reality. This is a major step towards establishing pathways to success for our residents in a historically underserved community.”

On Monday, June 19th, Councilor J.T. Moore (District 4) joined together with a number of agencies and partners for a Juneteenth celebration at Bethel Baptist Church of Collegeville which included a panel discussion hosted by Councilor Moore about a significant announcement for the area concerning Broadband access.

“We have a partnership with Woodlawn United where we’re offering Open Broadband, or broadband access to residents here in the neighborhood — which is a huge deal,” explained Councilor Moore. “I think a lot of times we take for granted that we have access to WiFi, but there are certain people in the City who don’t have access at all. So I’m using my ARPA dollars to make that a possibility and a reality. We’re starting in Collegeville and we’re not going to stop.”

In 2020, thanks largely to the COVID-19 pandemic, the issue of a ‘digital divide’ became apparent across the City. Currently, there are 35,000 households within in the Birmingham area that don’t have regular access to internet service. Pastor Thomas Wilder of Historic Bethel Baptist Church made Councilor Moore fully aware of the situation when he noticed people pulling up the church parking lot in order to use the building’s WiFi.

“It’s not a luxury, it’s a necessity,” said Moore. “This will increase access to reliable and affordable high-speed internet to approximately 1,000 homes in the Collegeville community. I want to commend the work being done by our partners at Woodlawn United, Open Broadband, Microsoft, the Collegeville Neighborhood Association, Historic Bethel Baptist Church of Collegeville, and everyone else who are helping to make this important project a reality. This is a major step towards establishing pathways to success for our residents in a historically underserved community.”