Cleveland presses DigitalC over broadband numbers
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Cleveland City Council is putting the nonprofit DigitalC under the microscope, raising questions about the organization's 2025 numbers.
Why it matters: The nonprofit founded in 2015 received Cleveland's largest single ARPA award ($20 million) to build a low-cost broadband network citywide.
- DigitalC must connect 23,500 formerly disconnected households to satisfy the terms of a four-year contract.
The latest: At a hearing last week, DigitalC CEO Joshua Edmonds said the organization connected 4,850 new households (above its goal of 4,700) and completed its citywide buildout.
- DigitalC's $18-per-month Canopy internet service now has over 9,000 subscribers.
Friction point: Utilities committee chair Brian Kazy noted that the quarterly numbers DigitalC submitted to council appeared to have been revised throughout the year in order to meet sign-up targets.
- Councilman Kris Harsh, who has long been skeptical of the DigitalC contract, confirmed there is currently no reliable way to verify that those who sign up stay signed up.
What they're saying: "We ought to be funding the number of people actively using the network, not the number of households we can point to in the city of Cleveland," he said.
The other side: Edmonds said he would address the quarterly numbers discrepancies at a future meeting, but said he trusted what was submitted and that his organization has acted "in good faith."
What's next: Council will consider legislation to release DigitalC's 2025 funding at a May 14 committee meeting.