DALLAS, April 23, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Information Technology Disaster Resource Center (ITDRC), a nationwide nonprofit organization that connects communities in crisis, today announced its teams are responding to requests in 28 states, quickly putting to use a $2 million grant it received from Facebook Connectivity.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Facebook Connectivity and ITDRC are partnering to assist emergency responders, local governments and communities across the United States with internet connectivity and technical support. ITDRC’s projectConnect initiative is focused on rural and underserved communities without access to broadband internet.
Facebook Connectivity is providing a grant to support this work, along with insights from Facebook Disease Prevention Maps, which will help ITDRC better understand options for internet coverage in a given region. With this insight, ITDRC will be able to more quickly determine what type of support is needed to address connectivity challenges in different communities.
“It’s an honor to work with the Facebook Connectivity team to harness the full power of this grant,” said Joe Hillis, operations director at ITDRC. “We typically assist communities after tornadoes, hurricanes, fires and floods that are somewhat limited in geography, but our teams are now deployed throughout the United States on a huge mission – helping communities overcome the impacts of COVID-19. Our volunteers’ efforts to provide internet access during this time of social distancing, quarantines and staying home is even more important since schools, libraries, and anchor institutions are also closed.”
“As people stay home during the coronavirus pandemic, internet access and online services are needed to help stay connected to the world,” said Dan Rabinovitsj, Vice President of Facebook Connectivity. “The work that ITDRC is doing to bring internet connectivity and technical support to rural and underserved communities that lack access to broadband is so important, and we’re proud to support them on this mission.”
About ITDRC
The Information Technology Disaster Resource Center is a nationwide, volunteer-driven 501(c)(3) with more than 2,000 credentialed technical professionals throughout the United States. ITDRC is a charter member of FEMA’s Tech Sector Collaboration program, and trusted partner to the technology and emergency management communities. In 2019, ITDRC volunteers logged more than 53,000 hours responding to 16 major disasters. To volunteer, sponsor or learn more, visit www.itdrc.org.
About Facebook Connectivity
Connectivity is at the heart of Facebook’s mission to give people the power to build community and bring the world closer together. Critical to this mission is high-quality internet access, which gives people a voice and creates opportunities to share knowledge that can strengthen local communities and global economies. Facebook Connectivity works closely with partners including mobile network operators, equipment manufacturers and more to develop programs and technologies—including Express WiFi, Magma and Terragraph—that increase the availability, affordability and awareness of high-quality internet access, bringing more people online to a faster internet. To learn more, visit: https://connectivity.fb.com.
ITDRC Contact:
Brian Meagher
bmeagher@itdrc.org
817-886-8550
Press Contact:
Matthew Zintel
matthew.zintel@zintelpr.com
281-444-1590