Some Philly rec centers and libraries will get new computers and tablets thanks to a $20 million federal grant

President Joe Biden’s administration is awarding Pennsylvania a $20 million grant to expand internet access by providing computers and tablets to libraries and recreation centers across the state, Mayor Cherelle L. Parker and other officials announced Friday in North Philadelphia.

The funds come from the American Rescue Plan Act, Biden’s 2021 pandemic relief legislation, and it’s not yet clear how much will be allocated to Philadelphia.

About 16% of Philadelphia households lack broadband internet access, and 19% lack access to a computer or tablet, said Juliet Fink Yates, who is the broadband infrastructure and digital inclusion manager in the city’s Office of Innovation and Technology.

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Parker described herself as a “technical dinosaur” but said the money is needed urgently to close the “digital divide” in the city.

“That 16% is unacceptable to me as mayor of this city,” Parker said at a news conference at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Recreation Center. “It’s really fundamentally necessary in the modern world. It creates economic opportunities for all, and without access to the internet … it’s almost impossible to apply for a job.”

Looking back on her time as a state representative, Parker noted that improving internet access is one of the few issues that enjoys bipartisan support.

“Broadband was one of the great unifiers during my time in the Pennsylvania House,” she said.

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Parker was joined by Stephen K. Benjamin, a senior adviser to Biden and the director of the White House’s Office of Public Engagement.

Benjamin visited Philadelphia to tout the program as part of the White House’s “Investing in America” tour, which is aimed at highlighting the impacts of the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan and other major pieces of legislation during Biden’s tenure.

Biden has made his administration’s infrastructure investments a key part of the messaging for his reelection campaign.

Benjamin said that Friday’s announcement highlighted the administration’s commitment to funding not just traditional projects like roads and bridges, but also technological infrastructure.

“We saw the impact of the pandemic on public supply chains and the reality that internet access is 21st Century infrastructure,” said Benjamin, a former mayor of Columbia, S.C. “It is essential for people to find employment, for children to go to school, for people to access healthcare. Everybody should have unfettered access.”

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