Updated
Updated · West Valley View · Jun 6
Compudopt, Microsoft Offer 1 Year of Free Internet to 425 West Valley Households
Updated
Updated · West Valley View · Jun 6

Compudopt, Microsoft Offer 1 Year of Free Internet to 425 West Valley Households

3 articles · Updated · West Valley View · Jun 6

Summary

  • 425 qualifying households in Goodyear and El Mirage can get a free router and 12 months of internet service under a new Compudopt-Microsoft program launched to narrow the West Valley digital divide.
  • The service runs on Compudopt Connect’s 5G network with unlimited data, and the portable router can move with families if they change residences.
  • After the free year, participants can keep the service for $20 a month; residents apply online through a short eligibility questionnaire with no documentation required.
  • Goodyear and El Mirage were chosen after a similar Atlanta rollout, and Compudopt said wider expansion in the West Valley or Maricopa County will depend on added partner funding.
  • Founded in 2007, Compudopt says it has distributed more than 160,000 devices, connected 51,000 households and reached more than 1 million people nationwide.

Insights

After a year of free internet, what ensures these 425 families won't fall back into the digital divide?
Is portable 5G the future of equitable internet access or a temporary fix for Arizona's underserved communities?
With federal internet aid ending, can corporate-funded programs truly scale to bridge the massive digital divide?