Brooklyn is welcoming a brand-new wired tech center with a new partnership aimed at bringing reliable internet access to underserved communities.  

The Brooklyn Gigabit Center, which found its home in the Major R. Owens Health and Wellness Community Center, expands 5G Wi-Fi and internet to the West Indian American Day Carnival Association, Digital Girl Inc., and the auditorium of the center.  

“It means a lot to the community,” said Toni Robinson, president of the board and director of programming at Digital Girl Inc. “It’s just a space that they can come to help bridge that digital divide that we can’t believe is still here, but it really is.” 

Digital Girls Inc. is an organization dedicated to empowering young women to pursue careers in STEM. It serves as a technology hub for people of all ages in the community to perform tasks that require internet access such as paying bills, filling out job applications or booking appointments.  

“It’s a service that we’re providing for free for anyone who wants to walk into this health and wellness center and access internet,” said Robinson.  

The Wi-Fi has higher bandwidth, meaning more people can connect without it slowing down. With the services that Digital Girl provides, founder and director Michelle Gall says this center is the perfect place for the Brooklyn Gigabit Center.  

“It’s really going to help us provide the kind of programming that we need to expose the youth to… coding, robotics, web design, senior technology classes, workforce development,” said Gall.  

Thanks to the partnerships, the center is completely free to use, helping Brooklyn residents stay connected to the digital world.