PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – New 5G antenna towers are providing affordable, high-speed internet access to West Philadelphia homes through the Connecting Minority Communities pilot program.

What we know:

On Tuesday, a ribbon cutting ceremony was held with local leaders and partners including Wilco Systems, PCs for People and University Place Associates.

“We’re not just cutting ribbons, we’re cutting barriers,” said Brigitte Daniel-Corbin, CEO of Wilco Systems. “When you have that affordability in your home, you can now reap the benefits of health, of jobs, of education. We need all of that and all of that is now undergirded by the technology and infrastructure of broadband.”

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Why you should care:

The Community College of Philadelphia was awarded a $2.9 million grant from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration in 2023. As a result, eligible residents can now receive high-speed internet for free for two years.

Eligible residents in Haddington, Walnut Hill, Haverford North, West Powelton and University City can also receive free laptops, modems and digital literacy training.

“This is one of the modems right here, it’s kind of like a trophy in a way, this is what’s going to end up going into the individual homes in the community here,” said Ryan Hodson, Director of Network Operations for PCs for People. “We’ve also been getting the question of what happens after two years. Being that we’re a nonprofit, it’s $15 a month. There are no credit checks, no installation fees. It’s a flat $15 a month.”

Three 5G antenna towers are now installed along the Market Street corridor in West Philadelphia, including 3.0 University Place and New Market West. The towers provide high speed internet coverage within a one-mile radius.

What you can do:

To find out if you’re eligible for the free service, head to the PCs For People website to input your address to check if you’re within the coverage area and sign up for access by filling out the form at the bottom of the page.

A celebration will be held at New Market West (5921 Market St) on Wednesday September 10. Staff from PCs for People will be on site between 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. to handout free laptops and modems.

The Source: Information in this story is from Wilco Systems, PCs for People and University Place Associates.

Philadelphia