Digital Equity: Mandel Foundation Grant Is a Catalyst for State and Local Funding

In July of 2021, when the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Supporting Foundation announced a $20 million investment in DigitalC, a nonprofit wireless internet provider, it came with a call to action from Board Chair Steve Hoffman that state and local leaders should fund the capital and equipment costs to help build a "future-forward technology network with coverage for 130,000 households within the next three years."

The grant, which included $18 million from the Mandel Foundation and $2 million from the David and Inez Myers Foundation, would allow DigitalC to expand capacity and accelerate adoption of a broadband connectivity infrastructure throughout Cleveland, identified as the "worst-connected large city" in 2019 by the National Digital Inclusion Alliance.

Two and a half years later, on January 9, 2024, the Mandel Foundation joined Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb in a press conference announcing that BroadbandOhio will supply $10 million in grant funding for the infrastructure project. This is in addition to the $20 million recently committed by the city of Cleveland.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and Lt. Governor John Husted praised Mandel and Myers' private contributions to bridge Greater Cleveland's digital divide. "If we want all Ohioans to participate in the modern economy, education, and healthcare systems, then we need to make sure that they have access to affordable, high-speed Internet," said Husted. "Through this investment, we hope to improve lives by connecting people to important services and opportunities."

DigitalC officially launched the citywide broadband expansion project two weeks later, and all of Cleveland's 170,000 households are expected to have access to low-cost broadband by the middle of next year. Access to the network will be guaranteed at just $18 per month for at least ten years, only allowing changes due to inflation after the fifth year.

"Investments in broadband are investments in Ohio's future," said Governor DeWine when the original grant was announced. "As economic and educational opportunities are increasingly connected to technology and the internet, the commitment of the Mandel and Myers foundations to bring more widespread broadband access to Cleveland will go far to help ensure that citizens have access to the resources they need to succeed."