Thread by @GovPritzker

It’s incumbent upon us not to forget the ways that COVID highlighted the inequities that low-income families have long faced – and the ways it’s accelerated the need for us to respond. One of the largest gaps – made even more significant in the pandemic – is the digital divide.

Long before COVID-19, I set the goal of bringing broadband digital infrastructure to every corner of Illinois by 2024 through Connect Illinois, and I'm happy to report we are well on our way toward our goal of making broadband accessible for every Illinoisan.

But even with that – the ability to plug into broadband means nothing when you don’t have a device to start with. And in our state of nearly 4.9 million households, an estimated 1.1 million of them currently do not have access to a computer.

So today, I’m announcing a first-of-its-kind statewide initiative: the Connect Illinois Computer Equity Network. This new collaboration between @IllinoisDCEO and the nonprofit @PCsforPeople will provide refurbished and modernized computers to those in need.

We're also announcing an initial commitment of 20,000 devices to families in need all across the state. As we grow the program, it’s businesses and philanthropists that will make this program successful. So I want to put the call out to all of them to help.

In the spirit of the holiday season, I’m asking Illinois companies to join us. When your upgrade cycle gets renewed and your old technology no longer fits the needs of your company, you can donate it, and it will be upgraded for use by a family in need.

And of course, everyone is invited to donate your outdated computers too. Distribution events will take place in all 102 counties of Illinois next year.

➡️ Visit Illinois.gov/computerequity… to learn more.

I want to thank @PCsforPeople and @cookcountygov for their early leadership and serving as our hubs as well as @JUFChicago for committing $250,000 to the Computer Equity Network. This is a multi-pronged assault on the digital divide, with the hope of ending it once and for all.