Low-cost internet service for portions of South Los Angeles and the Eastside through a public-private partnership was announced Tuesday.
WeLink Communications will offer a home internet plan starting at $25 per month to 50,000 qualified households in the 68 square mile area, surpassing the initial goal in 2022 of serving 12,500 households.
Plans starting at $65 per month will be available to households not meeting the qualification requirements. The prices will not change until at least September 2027.
Every plan includes unlimited data, a Wi-Fi router, parental controls, and multilingual customer support without credit checks or cash deposits.
Construction is expected to begin this summer with service becoming available in the fall.
Interested households in the service areas can sign up for updates and be notified by WeLink when service is available at WeLink.com/LACounty/ .
Major funding is provided the American Rescue Plan, signed into law by President Joe Biden in 2021 which included elements intended to stimulate faster economic growth over the long term.
Other funding for the partnership between Los Angeles County’s Internal Services Department and WeLink Communications is from a grant for Local Agency Technical Assistance from a program administered by the California Public Utilities Commission.
South Los Angeles and the Eastside has long suffered from the unequal access to digital technology known as the digital divide, according to county officials.
This partnership is a direct result of the Los Angeles County Community Broadband Networks initiative, which was created to help residents without home internet services. Beginning in 2021, the county Board of Supervisors passed a series of motions in an attempt to address the issue.
The Internal Services Department had been tasked with identifying solutions — ultimately selecting WeLink as the partner to serve these first two areas.
“In 2021, I introduced a motion directing Los Angeles County to explore viable options for reliable broadband in our communities impacted by the digital divide,” said Supervisor Hilda Solis, whose First District includes East Los Angeles, Boyle Heights, Lincoln Heights, Montecito Heights and El Sereno where the service will be offered.
“Today, I am thrilled to see the upcoming launch of the Community Broadband Networks, a program in which the county will partner with private internet companies to pilot residential internet services in target communities.”
Supervisor Holly Mitchell, who represents the South Los Angeles area, called the program “a significant step.”