BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Starry, Inc., (the “Company” or “Starry”) a next generation licensed fixed wireless technology developer and internet service provider, today announced it is partnering with Ziff Davis, a digital media and internet company whose portfolio includes leading brands in technology, entertainment, shopping, health, cybersecurity, and martech, and Human-I-T, a national nonprofit organization focused on creating equitable access to digital opportunities, to expand access to affordable computing devices for Starry Connect communities. Starry Connect is the company’s digital equity program focused on providing ultra-low-cost, high-quality broadband service to families living in public and affordable housing. The partnership will provide Starry Connect customers a credit towards accessing deeply discounted, refurbished computing devices through Human-I-T. Today, more than 55,000 units of public and affordable housing participate in Starry’s Connect program across Boston, New York City, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., Denver and Columbus, Ohio.
“Having home broadband is only useful if you have a reliable device to take you where you need to go online, for work, school, health care and taking care of basic things like paying bills and accessing news,” said Virginia Lam Abrams, Starry’s Senior Vice President of Government Affairs and Strategic Advancement. “At Starry, we’re always looking for ways to bring together companies that believe as deeply as we do in the power of digital access and the need to advance digital equity in our most underserved communities. We are grateful to Ziff Davis for raising their hand in this effort and to Human-I-T for their tireless work in creating equitable access to high-quality computers. We look forward to launching this partnership in our Starry Connect communities and taking another step towards closing the digital gap.”
"We are thrilled to team up with Starry and Human-I-T to help bridge the digital divide," said Darrah Feldman, Ziff Davis' Vice President of Sustainability and Responsibility. "This partnership enables us to take a sustainable and community-driven approach to contributing devices, which we are no longer using, but have plenty of life in them."
"We believe access to technology is a right, not a privilege,” said AJ Middleton, Senior Vice President of Programs at Human-I-T. “It's what allows people to study remotely, apply for jobs, attend telehealth appointments, connect with distant family, or explore new ideas and perspectives. In order to shrink the digital divide, we make it easy for our partners to do good, so we're delighted to join Ziff Davis and Starry to provide affordable devices through the Starry Connect program.”
According to a 2021 survey from the Pew Research Center, 13% of lower-income adults in the United States do not have access to technology at home and 27% can only access the internet from smartphones. According to the National Assessment of Education Progress, 19% of 4th-grade students and 12% of 8th-grade students in public schools may not have either access to the internet or the devices required to carry out distance learning.
Ziff Davis will donate gently-used devices, ranging from laptops to monitors to CPUs, to Human-I-T to refurbish for sale. Starry will receive the benefit of the value of the refurbished devices and provide credits to Starry Connect customers to select and purchase the device that best fits their needs and budget through Human-I-T’s shoppable website.
Starry launched its Starry Connect program in 2018 to address the growing digital divide by providing an affordable and ultra-low-barrier broadband option to public and affordable housing communities. Starry Connect provides communities with a high-speed, broadband service starting at only $15 per month with no data caps, no long-term contracts, no extra fees for equipment, free installation and 24/7 world-class customer support. In addition, Starry Connect does not require credit checks, individual eligibility requirements (such as household participation in SNAP, WIC or Medicaid) or a lengthy application process. This innovative approach to removing broadband adoption barriers earned Starry designation as ConnectHomeUSA stakeholder through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in 2019.
Starry Internet is available in Los Angeles, Boston, New York City, Washington, DC, Denver and Columbus, OH. To learn more about Starry, visit:https://starry.com. To learn more about Starry Connect, become a Starry Connect partner or sign-up for Starry Connect service, visit https://starry.com/starryconnect.
About Starry, Inc.
At Starry, Inc. (“Starry”), we believe the future is built on connectivity and that connecting people and communities to high-speed, broadband internet should be simple and affordable. Using our innovative, wideband hybrid-fiber fixed wireless technology, Starry is deploying gigabit capable broadband to the home without bundles, data caps, or long-term contracts. Starry is a different kind of internet service provider. We’re building a platform for the future by putting our customers first, protecting their privacy, ensuring access to an open and neutral net, and making affordable connectivity and digital equity a priority. Headquartered in Boston and backed by world-class investors, Starry is currently available in Boston, New York City, Los Angeles, Washington, DC, Denver and Columbus and is expanding nationwide. To learn more about Starry or to join our team and help us build a better internet, visit: https://starry.com.
About Ziff Davis
Ziff Davis (NASDAQ: ZD) is a vertically focused digital media and internet company whose portfolio includes leading brands in technology, entertainment, shopping, health, cybersecurity, and martech. For more information, visit: www.ziffdavis.com.
