Foreword from The Bronx Community Foundation

At The Bronx Community Foundation, we believe that digital equity is not a luxury—it is a fundamental right. In today’s interconnected world, access to reliable broadband, up-to-date devices, digital literacy, and digital workforce training are essential to full participation in education, the workforce, healthcare, and civic life. Yet for far too long, Bronx residents have faced deep and persistent barriers to these basic digital tools.

We are proud to support this groundbreaking report from the Center for an Urban Future, which offers one of the most comprehensive examinations to date of the digital divide in the Bronx. The data and stories in this report underscore what many in our communities have long known: the digital divide in the Bronx is real, it is urgent, and it is solvable—but only through collective action.

Since our founding, The Bronx Community Foundation has prioritized digital equity as a cornerstone of community empowerment. We launched the Bronx Digital Equity Coalition (BxDEC), bringing together over 70 organizations to coordinate solutions and advocate for change. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, we distributed thousands of laptops and Wi-Fi devices to students and families. Through our digital equity grantmaking, we have supported frontline community organizations that are delivering culturally responsive tech training, device access, and support where it is needed most.

This report affirms the need to go further—to build sustainable, borough-wide infrastructure that ensures every Bronxite can thrive in a digital economy. It also reflects a larger truth: the solutions must come from within our communities. The Bronx is full of extraordinary organizations, residents, educators, and innovators who are already leading the way.

We thank the Center for an Urban Future for its thoughtful and detailed research. We hope this report serves as both a wake-up call and a roadmap. The time for action is now.

The Bronx Community Foundation