The lines that define Detroit’s access to opportunity have long been drawn by geography. In neighborhoods like 48209 and 48216, families have seen what it means to live on the disconnected side of digital growth. For too long, internet access in these areas has lagged behind, tied closely to lower median incomes and higher rates of rental housing. This isn’t a theory. It’s a documented reality backed by the numbers.
In 2015, more than one-third of Detroit households lacked broadband access. That amounted to over 95,000 homes across the city. In lower-income areas—including many blocks in Southwest Detroit—entire families depended on mobile phones or school-issued hotspots as their only line to education, job applications, and virtual healthcare. Households earning under $20,000 a year were more than eight times as likely to have no internet at all compared to households making over $75,000.
That is the landscape the Equitable Internet Initiative (EII) and Michigan Central are working to reshape.
Their newly launched Southwest Equitable Internet Initiative at Michigan Central is focused specifically on the 48216 and 48209 ZIP codes—home to thousands of families who’ve experienced these gaps firsthand. The initiative offers affordable, high-speed wireless internet to local residents for $10 per month. But this isn’t just about flipping a switch or installing equipment. It’s about how the work is being done—and who’s doing it.
Rather than hiring outside contractors or relying on private internet companies, this model puts the power directly into the hands of community members. EII trains and employs residents as Digital Stewards—technologists who are building the system from the ground up. They’ll install equipment, support neighbors, troubleshoot problems, and help maintain the system’s long-term reliability.
Cornetta Lane-Smith, Director of Community Engagement at Michigan Central, says this is part of a larger mission.
“Michigan Central is deeply committed to fostering an inclusive innovation ecosystem that benefits everyone in our community,” Lane-Smith said. “Access to the internet is a fundamental need in today’s economy, and through our partnership with EII, we’re ensuring that Southwest Detroit residents have the tools they need to thrive.”
That access will come from equipment mounted on the rooftop of The Station, the tallest building in Corktown. This location provides an unobstructed signal that can now reach more than 4,500 homes in the surrounding neighborhoods. This is a clear effort to physically and structurally prioritize households that have previously been overlooked.
And there’s no catch. No contracts. No fine print. No promotional pricing that disappears after three months. Just reliable service at $10 a month.
That’s possible because of a $300,000 Congressional Community Project Grant and additional support from partners and future subscriber revenue. Residents can apply now by calling or texting 313-444-2018 or emailing EII@graceinactiondetroit.org. Enrollment is ongoing, with new households added on a rolling basis.
The plan is to connect 200 homes each year for five years, ultimately reaching 675 households across the designated ZIP codes. That number reflects real intention—not just to build access, but to maintain it.
Aldo Medina, a Digital Technician with EII, underscores how this model works because it centers people—not institutions.
“We believe the internet should be a public good that uplifts communities, not leave them behind,” Medina said. “Partnering with Michigan Central allows us, the Southwest Equitable Internet Initiative team, to expand our reach and deepen our impact in Southwest Detroit, empowering residents with the connectivity they need to access education, employment, healthcare, and civic engagement opportunities.”
That impact starts with the workforce. The Digital Steward program provides technical training and employment opportunities to residents. The goal is to make the people of Southwest Detroit experts in building and running their own digital infrastructure—eliminating dependency on providers that never made them a priority.
This also gives the program staying power. When issues arise, neighbors don’t have to call a 1-800 number and wait hours for a solution. They can call someone they know. Someone who understands the urgency of getting back online because they’ve been there too.
The network’s infrastructure also includes a layer of disaster resilience, meaning the connection can remain stable even during power outages or citywide emergencies. That’s critical in a community where gaps in public response often widen during crises.
Beyond the immediate benefits of affordable internet, this initiative creates the foundation for digital equity that goes beyond household use. It opens doors for small businesses, artists, youth creators, and community organizations that need reliable access to function and grow.
Southwest Detroit has long been home to culture-shapers and movement-builders. But the tools to scale that impact—to host livestreams, build online businesses, launch podcasts or access health records—have been out of reach for too many. By expanding high-speed internet from within the neighborhood, this initiative returns agency to the people who’ve kept this part of the city moving through every stage of change.
It also challenges a decades-old reality: that broadband deployment in Detroit has never been neutral. Higher-income neighborhoods with larger shares of homeowners and consistent tax bases have been prioritized in broadband rollouts. That leaves places like Southwest Detroit—where renters outnumber homeowners and income levels fall well below the state median—at a technological disadvantage.
According to census data, Detroit’s median household income is just under $33,000, significantly below Michigan’s overall average. These financial differences often correlate with whether a household has access to stable broadband service. In fact, across the state, more than a third of households making less than $20,000 per year have no internet access at all.
This program addresses that disparity head-on, not by offering discounted services that expire, but by embedding access into the neighborhood’s own infrastructure and labor.
And it does something more. It sends a clear message that Southwest Detroit is not waiting on promises. Residents are building the future themselves.
EII has already shown this approach works. Since its creation in 2015, the initiative has expanded to multiple Detroit neighborhoods, combining internet access with digital literacy and community governance. Their track record makes this partnership more than a trial. It’s a proven model now rooted deeper in Detroit’s west side.
The fact that this is happening now, in 2025, points to how long overdue this investment has been. But it also shows what’s possible when priorities shift.
There’s no need to overstate the meaning. The numbers speak for themselves. High-speed internet access at $10 per month, installed and maintained by trained residents, available without contracts, in a community that has historically faced the highest barriers to digital connection. That’s the work.
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