CWA and Microsoft Help Detroit Residents “Get Connected” to No-Cost Internet Service

Volunteers from CWA and Microsoft hosted a “Get Connected” event at Brewster Homes in Detroit to help residents who need it receive no-cost internet service. CWA and Microsoft recently launched "Get Connected," an initiative aiming to boost enrollment in the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), which provides low-cost broadband service. The event was part of a “Trick or Treat for Resources” community initiative by the Detroit Housing Commission Resident Services Department. CWA and Microsoft partnered with the non-profit EveryoneOn and the Detroit Housing Commission to spread the word about the event and the opportunity for low-income residents to get online at little to no cost via the ACP. The partnership between CWA and Microsoft builds on a groundbreaking labor neutrality agreement announced in June, which includes a commitment to collaborate on technology adoption and skill building programs.

Volunteers at the event guided residents through the registration process and Internet Service Providers that offer no-cost high speed broadband plans to ACP enrollees were also available so that qualifying residents could sign up for service on-site. The event in Detroit follows a similar event in Memphis earlier this month and another one in Atlanta on Labor Day. Additional sign up events are being planned in New York City and rural North Carolina.

Left: Volunteers from CWA and Microsoft helped Brewster Homes residents in Detroit enroll in the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) and sign up for services from AT&T.
Right: CWA Local 4100 President Gerald Sommerville and Vice President DeAndre Davis with a Detroit Housing Authority employee volunteered at the “Get Connected” event in Detroit and encouraged participants to enroll in the ACP to receive no-cost internet service.