DigitalC pilots free high-speed internet in Detroit
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Illustration: Annelise Capossela/Axios
The Cleveland nonprofit DigitalC has launched its first market expansion, bringing free high-speed home internet to hundreds of Detroit families living in public housing.
Why it matters: The pilot project, modeled after DigitalC's citywide broadband work in Cleveland, offers a blueprint for scaling up internet infrastructure in communities where financial and structural barriers have long limited access.
State of play: The Detroit service, like Cleveland's, is called "Canopy" and delivers internet download speeds of up to 500 megabits per second to 450 households across three public housing communities.
- Unlike in Cleveland, the service will be completely free for three years — no installation fees, no monthly bills — thanks to philanthropic support from the Rocket Community Fund and Microsoft.
What they're saying: "This story is about believing in community-rooted solutions early and giving them the space to grow," DigitalC CEO Joshua Edmonds said in a case study on the organization's expansion.
- Edmonds previously served as Detroit's first director of digital inclusion.
Flashback: DigitalC pioneered its model in Cleveland, where the $18 per month Canopy service is available to all city residents and now reaches over 5,400 households.
Friction point: The organization received $20 million in federal stimulus funding and overcame early skepticism from the Cleveland City Council after falling short of its goals in 2024.
The latest: The rate of new connections has rapidly increased in 2025.
- After DigitalC connected its 4,000th home in April, the 5,000th home was connected in June, spokesperson Valerie Jerome tells Axios.
Zoom out: The Detroit expansion was inspired in part by Project Overcome, a federal broadband pilot that seeded DigitalC's early growth.