Commission hears pitch for $100,000 broadband device grant; referral to committee for targeting

County staff described a $100,000 state broadband-ready communities grant that Shelby County would administer through a pass-through contract with Innovate Memphis. Hannah McCarthy of the Mayor's Office said the initiative is a three-legged effort involving device access, service connections and training, and that this particular award focuses on devices and partners.

"The way we kind of see this is as a tripod issue. It has 3 fundamental pieces," Hannah McCarthy said, describing device distribution as one leg of broader digital-equity work. Jessica Lotz, executive director of Innovate Memphis, said roughly $80,000 of the grant is budgeted for device purchases and that the plan is to work with about eight nonprofits that already provide digital-equity or poverty-alleviation services.

Commissioners pressed staff on geographic targeting and asked whether funds would reach known low-connectivity neighborhoods such as Frayser and Orange Mound. Lotz said the Office of Innovation and Innovate Memphis would prioritize nonprofits serving high-need ZIP codes identified using poverty and FCC/census data and offered to present a map and a targeted scope to commissioners. Citing the limited award size, several commissioners moved to send the item to committee so staff could return with a specific distribution plan; the referral passed 9— to 1.

What's next: Staff committed to return with a proposed partner list and a map showing targeted neighborhoods before final acceptance and procurement.