Cleveland City Council has DigitalC in the hot seat, pressing the nonprofit for proof that sign-ups in the citywide broadband rollout are actually active, paying customers. Members of the utilities committee say the quarterly totals they received do not add up and are now weighing whether to release DigitalC’s 2025 payment at an upcoming committee meeting. The heightened scrutiny centers on a high-profile program built with $20 million in city ARPA funds.
Contract benchmarks and earlier shortfalls
DigitalC received a $20 million ARPA award to build a low-cost, citywide broadband network, according to the City of Cleveland. Under the four-year agreement, the nonprofit is expected to connect 23,500 formerly disconnected households. Council already trimmed payments once after DigitalC missed its 2024 benchmark, per GovTech.
Committee flags revised quarterly figures
Utilities committee chair Brian Kazy said quarterly totals DigitalC submitted “appeared to have been revised throughout the year” to hit sign-up targets, a concern detailed by Axios. Committee members say they want a clean accounting that shows current, active subscribers rather than one-off or duplicated registrations before they sign off on more taxpayer-backed dollars.
DigitalC: Buildout finished, numbers in hand
DigitalC points to a fast rollout and growing subscriber counts as evidence that the project is on track. In a year-end release, the nonprofit said it had connected more than 7,500 households since launching the citywide effort and completed the full buildout in June 2025, per PR Newswire. Organization leaders say they will be back before the council to walk through the numbers and address committee concerns at a follow-up session.
Why the sign-up math matters
The milestone payments are tied directly to verified subscription benchmarks and to whether a subsidized $18-per-month service can hold up over time. Canopy’s $18 monthly option is listed on DigitalC’s site, and council members say churn and verification, making sure sign-ups stay active, are at the heart of their oversight push. How those verification questions get resolved will determine whether additional ARPA funds move forward or get put on ice.
What’s next
Council is scheduled to revisit the funding question at a May 14 utilities committee meeting, where members will decide whether to release DigitalC’s 2025 payment. That vote will help determine whether Cleveland’s ARPA-backed bid to close the digital divide keeps its current momentum or runs into tougher financial scrutiny in the months ahead.
