Mayor Muriel Bowser announced a new open-access infrastructure initiative, naming award-winning broadband provider WeLink as the first provider selected to bring affordable high-speed internet to neighborhoods in need in the nation’s capital. With federal funding through the government’s new Affordable Connectivity Program, verified households can receive multi-gigabit internet and in-home Wi-Fi from WeLink at zero cost.
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The collaboration builds on Mayor Bowser’s commitment to give every D.C. resident a fair shot, and provides Washington, D.C., households with multi-gigabit internet at little or no cost to them.
“The partnership between WeLink and Washington, D.C., marks a major milestone in our efforts to close the digital divide and bring affordable, high-speed internet access to every household,” said Kevin Ross, Founder and CEO of WeLink. “Our next-generation technology brings multi-gigabit internet access to thousands of D.C. residents. Public infrastructure access will only accelerate our ability to deploy quickly and cost-effectively to those most in need.”
WeLink wireless technology is faster to deploy and significantly more cost-effective than traditional in-ground fiber. Open-access publicly owned infrastructure can accelerate broadband deployment, especially in densely populated urban communities. WeLink will begin wireless network rollout in the next 30 days. Washington, D.C., residents can sign up to enter a waitlist by visiting welink.com/washington-dc.
The Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted the critical need for reliable and affordable internet access to support virtual learning and facilitate remote work. The digital divide exacerbates many existing challenges for lower-income communities and communities of color. Across major American cities, millions of households go without broadband, and millions more pay prices they cannot afford for merely adequate service.
Building on the partnership model with Washington, D.C., WeLink is announcing the Cities Challenge to invest up to $100 million of private capital in deploying the company’s turnkey solution in low-income communities across the country. The company focuses on bringing ultrafast internet to historically overlooked communities to make them future-ready today. The WeLink Cities Challenge allows cities to work with WeLink to deliver much-needed digital infrastructure in neighborhoods identified by government partners. Local government officials can learn more about the Cities Challenge and submit their applications