SOUTHFIELD — 123Net, the Southfield high-speed connectivity and managed services provider, is partering with the Detriot Community Technology Project’s Equitable Internet Initiative to bring more gigabit internet connections to Detroit.
“123Net sees what we see in Detroit,” said Diana Nucera, director of the DCTP. “They understand that this city is experiencing tremendous growth, but too many people are being excluded from that growth. Our goal is to empower our community to own digital infrastructure and change the narrative of the internet from a place of consumption to a place of creation.”
Added 123Net CEO Dan Irvin: “We know that in a city so poorly connected, our residents won’t be able to attain the opportunities, education, and careers that they deserve to pursue. The Detroit Community Technology Project focuses on preserving the rich culture of the city by progressing the digital literacy of the population, and we saw an opportunity to use our infrastructure successes to advance that goal. We hope to be able to help DCTP leverage our experience and technology to propel Detroit’s inevitable development by empowering Detroiters to control their own network.”
The partnership consists of six 1 Gbps connections from 123Net to three neighborhoods that are part of the Equitable Internet Initiative: Southwest Detroit through a partnership with Grace in Action, Islandview in Southeast Detroit through a partnership with Church of the Messiah, and the North End through a partnership with the North End Woodward Community Coalition. Digital Stewards, community members who are trained by DCTP in technical skills and community organizing, distribute and maintain those connections throughout these neighborhoods.
Home of the Detroit Internet Exchange, 123Net maintains a large private carrier hotel and peers with technology leaders such as Google, AWS, and others. For more information, visit https://www.123.net/news.
The Detroit Community Technology Project seeks to promote digital literacy, education, and creation through multiple programs, including the Equitable Internet Initiative and Digital Stewards programs. Through these projects, the DCTP expands access to wireless broadband and digital literacy training to three Detroit neighborhoods. For more information, visit https://detroitcommunitytech.org/