"I started talking to some of the customers and asking, 'Does the building you live in have Wi-Fi?' 'No.' 'Does your apartment have Wi-Fi?' 'No, because you have to pay for it,'"
"This picture started to form for me: that there was a digital divide. Depending on where you live, the ZIP code, the place, the type of building, and all these things, you don't have access to internet. And if you do, it's an extra financial burden for you. It is often looked at as a luxury when we live in a world where it is a necessity."
"Bayoh said she asks herself three questions: (1) How are the outcomes different for people in my building versus somewhere else? (2) What is my social responsibility? (3) Will this community be better off if this project exists than if it doesn't?"
A partnership between Newark Fiber, Citizens Bank, and developer Adenah Bayoh will deliver up to 15 years of free internet service to residents of a new apartment building in Newark, New Jersey. Bayoh, a New Jersey native, owns multiple restaurants and develops real estate. During the COVID-19 pandemic, customers used her IHOP locations for free Wi-Fi because many lacked home internet access. Bayoh identified a ZIP-code and building-based digital divide and framed internet access as a necessity. Enterprise Community Partners supported her through the Equitable Path Forward program, and she won a 9% tax credit in 2023.
Read at Telecompetitor
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