At the beginning of the 2020-2021 school year, the City of Philadelphia launched tech access initiative PHLConnectED to get K-12 students signed up for free internet access at home, where remote learning had been taking place since schools closed due to COVID-19 in March. The two-year plan formed alongside corporate and philanthropic partners came with a $17 million budget and a goal to connect up to 35,000 low-income families.

As of last week, the initiative had reached 11,000 families.

Labonno Islam, digital engagement and communications specialist for the Office of Innovation and Technology, told Technical.ly that these figures and progress so far underscore the work city officials are doing to help bridge the digital divide in marginalized communities.

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