Of seven awardees announced this month, four projects in three Texas cities will use funds toward specific goals, according to a news release.
- Connecting for Good Austin will expand a project to connect low-income multi- and single-family homes to free or low-cost broadband services.
- Edgewood ISD, as part of Connected Beyond the Classroom, San Antonio, will expand home Internet access for students in that district.
- Fifth Ward Internet Connectivity Project, Houston, plans to provide up to 700 low-income families with Internet access and improve public Wi-Fi.
- Sunnyside Technology Hub, Houston, wants to create broadband coverage in an area of flat terrain lacking tall buildings.
The Internet Society, based in Reston, Va., is the administrative partner for the grant program, which focused on smaller municipalities in the first round.
“Opportunity has become closely tied to Internet access. Workplaces are recruiting online, many educational tools and courses have gone digital, and people are using online resources to start their own businesses. But while the Internet provides a gateway to opportunity for many, those without Internet connectivity are being left behind,” according to the Truist Foundation website.
Truist EPIC Grant applicants include nonprofit organizations, cooperative organizations, municipal governments and public-private partnerships. The funding is part of an effort to seed connectivity projects across the Truist Financial Corp.’s marketplace.
