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Philadelphia digital divide: Mayor Cherelle Parker pledges to close technology gap in Philly

By FOX 29 staff
Published  March 1, 2024 7:17pm EST
Technology
FOX 29 Philadelphia

Mayor Cherelle Parker pledges to close digital divide in Philly

Mayor Cherelle Parker was joined by federal officials to announce funding to help close the digital divide in Philadelphia.

PHILADELPHIA - Mayor Cherelle Parker was joined by White House Senior Advisor Stephen Benjamin, among other state and local officials, Friday, to announce funding to help close the digital divide in Pennsylvania.

The mayor made the announcement at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center in North Philadelphia.

The U.S. Treasure Department is awarding the city $20 million to make all rec centers and libraries digitally compatible and accessible.

"Right here, in our city, 16 percent have neither a computer or some other device to get connected to the internet," Mayor Parker stated. "That’s 16 percent. That’s unacceptable to me."

Mayor Parker says it’s almost impossible to do certain things like apply for a job without the internet. She says her administration will put a focus on getting everyone in the city access to a computer.