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<\/a>JOSEPH FONTANEZ, WEST Farms\u00a0Photo by David Greene<\/p>\n
After a recent study found that 184,000 Bronxites do not own a computer, and 131,000 others said they were without reliable broadband service, this week, we asked readers for their views on internet accessibility.<\/p>\n
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According to the Center for an Urban Future (CUF), a leading think tank focused on building a stronger and more equitable economy in New York City, and expanding economic opportunity for all New Yorkers,\u00a0consistent access to a computer and high-speed internet is essential in today\u2019s economy, but CUF\u2019s new report reveals that hundreds of thousands of Bronx residents remain cut off from these basic tools of modern life.<\/p>\n
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The study found that while there are significant digital gaps across the city, CUF\u2019s report, \u201cUnderstanding and Overcoming the Bronx Digital Divide<\/a>,\u201d reveals that Bronx residents face the greatest barriers of any borough, with 22.4 percent of households in The Bronx lacking broadband\u00a0at home, compared to 18 percent in Queens and 12.5 percent in Manhattan.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Additionally, the report found that The Bronx also has the lowest rate of device ownership, with one in three households, or over 184,000 homes, lacking access to a computer. CUF officials said the disparities are even starker at the neighborhood level with 35 percent of households in Melrose, Mott Haven, and Hunts Point lacking a computer, compared to 19 percent in Riverdale and Kingsbridge.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n They said the report also found that there are also troubling gaps in digital literacy and access to tech education, adding that today, just 11.5 percent of Bronx students are enrolled in a computer science class, the lowest share of any borough.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n CUF officials said their research, made possible thanks to a grant from The Bronx Community Foundation, calls on City and State policymakers to implement a Bronx Digital Divide Equity plan that includes major new investments across three key areas: broadband adoption, device access, and digital literacy and tech education. To learn more and read the CUF\u2019s recommendations for policymakers, see the full report here<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know about our neighbors, but ours sucks. It just went down last night. I have no idea why it went down. It just went down and then I couldn\u2019t get in. No T.V., no internet, so that was that. It happens often enough that I don\u2019t have service. Walking in the street, there\u2019s no problem, it\u2019s just at home.\u201d<\/p>\n Joseph Fontanez,<\/p>\n West Farms<\/p>\n \u201cRight now, I\u2019m using an app so everything is fine. I get online with no problem; it\u2019s perfect! Sometimes there\u2019s a satellite problem and the service fades in and out, right? It could be for a week sometimes, or sometimes the signal will be weak and sometimes the signal is strong. It\u2019s technically in and out, but it works. It turns on but it\u2019s an in and out signal. It\u2019s random from the weather, like when it rains. I think we need Starlink.\u201d<\/p>\n Eric Summers,<\/p>\n Tremont<\/p>\n \u201cThe service can be better; the internet is great until you have a power outage at home. You call the company and now they make you their technician. On road trips either you\u2019re using your data capacity, or you connect to unsafe internet, which makes you vulnerable to hackers. It\u2019s surprising that so many people are without reliable service. It\u2019s a problem when it rains; the lights flicker a lot when we have power outages.\u201d<\/p>\n Lyssy Pastrana,<\/p>\n Pelham Gardens<\/p>\n<\/a>ERIC SUMMERS, TREMONT\u00a0
Photo by David Greene<\/p>\n<\/a>LYSSY PASTRANA, PELHAM Gardens\u00a0
Photo courtesy of Lyssy Pastrana<\/p>\n