Digital gap shrinking

President Obama's recent announcement of a new program to extend broadband Internet into low-income homes couldn't have come at a better time. That's especially true in cities like Philadelphia, where the gaping digital divide has left so many families without a reliable online connection.

ConnectHome will initially provide free or discounted broadband access to families in 28 communities nationally, including Philadelphia and Camden. The Department of Housing and Urban Development will partner with private Internet service providers to target families with school-age children living in publicly subsidized housing.

A number of social service organizations, including the Boys and Girls Clubs of America and the American Library Association, will provide additional tools and training to ensure residents can take full advantage of the Internet.

A staggering 34.6 percent of Philadelphia residents did not subscribe to an Internet service at home in 2013, according to the Census Bureau's American Community Survey. And in Philadelphia households with incomes of less than $35,000 annually, only 47.3 percent had a broadband subscription.

ConnectHome aims to increase that number dramatically. It's the next step in Obama's two-year-old ConnectED program, which provides broadband to schools and libraries. ConnectHome recognizes that while increasing numbers of students have Internet access at school, they don't have it at home.

Wilco Electronic Systems has had an exclusive contract to provide cable television and Internet service to Philadelphia Housing Authority residents. But HUD officials said Sprint would install free wireless broadband to low-income households in Philadelphia and Camden for ConnectHome.

Comcast offers broadband at a discounted rate through its Internet Essentials program, which costs $9.95 per month. Comcast says 15,147 Philadelphia families have signed up for Internet Essentials since December 2011. But the service has been criticized for its slow speed and the program's exclusion of some households.

ConnectHome may run into the same qualification difficulties. Like Internet Essentials, it will be available only to families with children in kindergarten through 12th grade. That leaves out childless households, including senior citizens who also need Internet access in a world where so much business is conducted online.

PHA has committed $250,000 to offset the cost of devices and Internet access to its residents in the future. "It's important for us to help our residents to find opportunities for social and economic mobility," said PHA president and CEO Kelvin Jeremiah.

With so many jobs and educational opportunities available online, Connect-Home is a good idea, but it should be offered to more than families with children.