Rogers Communications is partnering with Microsoft Canada and Compugen computers to provide affordable internet service to some 58,000 low-income households in Toronto Community Housing buildings.

“We are very excited about kicking off this initiative to provide affordable broadband, computers and software to people in need,” said Rogers President of Communications Rob Bruce who is unveiling the pilot project at the Canadian Telecom Summit in Toronto Monday.

It is the same day the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), releases a new code of conduct for wireless service providers.

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“We must invest and develop our youth to ensure they have the digital savvy they need to be part of and prosper in Canada’s digital future. And it starts with a broadband connection,” Bruce said.

“It’s unfathomable that Canadians are living without internet access today because they simply cannot afford it.”

By August, the company hopes to be able to offer broadband internet access for $9.99 a month to all subsidized households in Toronto’s public housing portfolio. The internet service, with speeds of 3Mbps and usage allowance up to 30 GB, usually retails for between $40 and $45 a month, Bruce noted.

Residents will also be able to buy Compugen computers loaded with Microsoft software for $150. Modems, routers, setup and technical support are all included in the price, he added.

Currently, just 20 per cent of public housing households have broadband internet service. About 80 per cent of Ontario households are connected, he noted.

“Rogers has stepped up to create a tremendous opportunity for youth living in Toronto Community Housing,” said the corporation’s president Eugene Jones.

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“I thank Rogers, Microsoft Canada and Compugen for their leadership in opening the door to new possibilities in our communities, and look forward to working with them to implement this initiative,” he said in a statement.

Rogers, which already provides cable television service to Toronto Community Housing buildings, hopes the pilot project, dubbed Connected for Success, will be expanded to low-income households across the Country.

“With Connected for Success we’ve taken the first step to connect youth and we urge our competitors, our partners and communities to work with us to bridge Canada’s digital divide,” he said.

The initiative is part of Rogers Youth Fund, a national charitable program launched in 2011 to bring more youth online and give them the tools and resources needed to thrive in the digital world.