CWA and Microsoft Help Residents in New York and North Carolina “Get Connected” to No-Cost Internet Service

Volunteers from CWA and Microsoft hosted events at Howard Houses in Brooklyn, N.Y., and Salisbury Civic Center in Salisbury, N.C., to help residents who need it receive no-cost internet service as part of our "Get Connected" initiative to boost enrollment in the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). More than one million people across the state of North Carolina, many in rural Appalachian counties, and one third of New Yorkers lack regular internet access.

CWA and Microsoft partnered with the NYCHA Howard Houses Tenants Association and the Salisbury Housing Authority to spread the word about the events and the opportunity for low-income residents to get online, at little to no cost, via the ACP. "We found there were a lot of families that didn't even have internet at home to begin with. So, now you're looking at telehealth options that didn't exist for some families, as well as homeschooling options,” said Keith Busby, CWA District 3 Broadband Lead, who helped organize the event in North Carolina.

The Halloween-themed event in New York was attended by elected officials including New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, State Senator Zellnor Myrie, Assemblymember Latrice Walker, and Councilmember Julie Menin. “CWA members have a longstanding commitment to making sure that every household in America has reliable, high-speed internet service, and we have been strong advocates for the Affordable Connectivity Program,” said CWA District 1 Vice President Dennis Trainor. Menin added, “Bridging the digital divide in [public housing] is a major step in tackling inequality across New York City and I was proud to launch a scalable pilot program in my New York City Council District with CWA to target broadband adoption for public housing residents through the Affordable Connectivity Program.”

Volunteers at both events 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 events in N.Y. and N.C. follow similar events held recently in Memphis, Tenn., and Atlanta. 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.

Councilmember Julie Menin, State Senator Zellnor Myrie, Assemblymember Latrice Walker, NYC Comptroller Brad Lander and a representative from Congressman Hakeem Jeffries' office joined volunteers from Microsoft and CWA, including CWA District 1 Broadband Brigade Lead Nick Hoh and Hae-Lin Choi, CWA District 1 Political Director, to help Howard Houses residents in Brooklyn enroll in the Affordable Connectivity Program and sign up for services from Verizon.

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Volunteers from Microsoft and CWA, including CWA District 3 Broadband Lead Keith Busby and his family, helped Salisbury Housing Authority residents in Salisbury, N.C., enroll in the Affordable Connectivity Program.