The wireless internet service provider Starry announced Thursday it has partnered with the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles to expand affordable broadband access to more than 600 households in the Del Rey neighborhood.
The Starry Connect initiative is a specialized broadband internet access program that partners with owners of public and affordable housing to make high-quality internet access available to residents for $15 per month, according to the company.
“The availability of affordable broadband access is critical to ensuring that all of our communities can fully participate in our economy and in broader civic life,” Starry co-founder and CEO Chet Kanojia said. “However, an uncompetitive broadband market has created communities of `haves’ and `have nots,’ leaving behind too many families that are unconnected and unable to benefit from our growing digital economy.”
The agreement is specifically to serve residents of Mar Vista Gardens, a public housing facility in Del Rey populated largely by families and senior citizens.
Starry representatives said the partnership will help students access internet services to continue their education while Los Angeles Unified School District facilities are closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles thrives through partnerships with forward-thinking organizations like Starry, and we’re so excited about this collaboration,” HACLA CEO Doug Guthrie said. “We live in a society where access to the internet is less of a luxury and more of a necessity. The inability to connect online can be detrimental in this day and age and our residents are often among those hit hardest by this reality.”
Starry said it has committed to the Federal Communication Commission’s “Keep Americans Connected” pledge by agreeing not to discontinue service to any subscriber due to nonpayment related to the ongoing health crisis.
Free services are being provided to all Starry Connect subscribers until the end of July, according to the company.