www.BXTimes.com BRONX WEEKLY August 30, 2020 4
Councilman Ritchie Torres sent a letter to Mayor Bill de Blasio calling on him to put pressure on Spectrum and Optimum
to provide Wi-Fi services to low-income families with school-aged children who cannot afford to pay through August 2021.
Courtesy of Facebook of Ritchie Torres
With many students set to
begin remote learning again in
a few weeks, thousands of lowincome
access to the internet.
According to a report from
April, there is a digital divide
in NYC and 500,000 homes have
no Wi-Fi.
On Aug. 17, Congressional
Candidate Councilman Ritchie
Torres sent a letter to Mayor
Bill de Blasio calling on him to
put pressure on Spectrum and
Optimum to provide Wi-Fi services
to low-income families
with school-aged children who
cannot afford to pay through
August 2021.
“This is unacceptable for
our children and families in the
midst of a devastating pandemic
that has disproportionately affected
vulnerable populations
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BCC gives tech
to students
A BCC student receiving an at-home technology drop off from the school
Photo via Twitter/president_BCC
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BY JASON COHEN
families are still without
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and communities of color in particular,
who are in greatest need
of our advocacy and support,”
Torres said in the letter. “These
Internet providers have been
profi ting off the backs of low-income
families and charging exorbitant
fees in the midst of this
unprecedented crisis.”
Torres, who is the chair of
the City Council’s Oversight
and Investigations Committee,
will lead an investigation and
Council hearing into this matter
unless Spectrum and Optimum
do right by families and
provide Wi-Fi services to lowincome
students in need.
In the spring, these companies
offered free Wi-Fi for 60
days to new customers with
K-12 or college students at home
due to the pandemic. However,
when that time period ended,
the Wi-Fi was not renewed. In
the meantime, COVID-19 is still
ongoing and many people are
out of work and choosing food
and rent over the internet.
“During these unprecedented
times, we need Wi-Fi
providers’ commitment to help
keep students connected and
supported while engaged in remote
learning,” Torres said in
the letter. “Reliable, affordable
Internet service is a necessity
in this critical moment, and
charging expensive fees for it
is unconscionable during this
public health crisis. It is imperative
that the city demand this
essential service from Spectrum
and Optimum so that families
and students can stay connected
to their classrooms. Free
Wi-Fi service will provide desperately
needed relief to New
Yorkers who need it most during
this crisis.”
BY ALEX MITCHELL
Bronx Community College
President Thomas A. Isekenegbe
and Provost Lester Rápalo
today have showed that
distance learning can still be
a personal experience.
Those two administrators
along with four others from the
college hand delivered technology
and other devices to ten
students’ homes as they all prepare
for a semester of distance
learning in an event called
“Operation Device Drop.”
“2020-2021 Academic year
begins on Wednesday @
DrLRapalo and I are on #BCCOperationDeviceDrop
bringing
devices to our students who
need them. Student Chinenye
Owuamana was our student
to receive a device this morning,
said Isekenegbe on Twitter.
“Braving the challenges
of life during a pandemic to
launch an academic career at
BCC is a real sign of personal
strength,” Isekenegbe said.
The school noted that these
ten students are representative
of hundred of other students
who are getting loaner
devices essential to distance
learning during COVID-19.
“This is our way of saying
‘thank you,’ and giving not
just these devices but also our
best wishes for the exciting
journey ahead. Before the pandemic,
I would stand at the college
gate and greet each student
at the start of the school
year. This is a small way to recapture
that feeling of community,”
the president added.
Further lifting students’
spirits, BCC shirts, pens
and other “swag” was also
delivered by the college
welcome wagon.
“Next student on #bccoperationdevicedrop
was Angel
Dionisio! A new BCC student
majoring in Business Administration
and Marketing. Joining
us was his mom who also
got BCC gear!” Isekenegbe
said on Aug. 24.
Rápalo explained that many
of the students receiving electronic
equipment are international
while others participate
in BCC programs like athletics,
college discovery and
accelerated study in
associate programs.
“We will hand them a device
and personally welcome
them to Bronx Community
College. We’re very
thrilled with this opportunity
to show freshmen that
we care and that we are committed
to their success,”
the provost said.
Free Wi-Fi for school
Torres demands free Wi-Fi for low-income students
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