Joshua Edmonds is a key figure in helping to narrow, and ultimately close, Cleveland’s digital divide. The organization he leads, DigitalC, now is expanding its footprint.

Under Edmonds’s leadership, DigitalC made significant strides in connecting residents to affordable, high-speed internet and demonstrating how community-driven broadband can be scaled for broader impact.

At the heart of DigitalC’s work in 2025 was the expansion of internet access across Cleveland. The organization completed a full buildout of its next-generation wireless network in under 18 months — among the fastest community-based deployments in the nation. In 2025 alone, DigitalC connected nearly 4,700 households to its low-cost Canopy broadband service and has now brought reliable internet to more than 7,500 Cleveland homes, part of an effort to reach tens of thousands of residents with connections priced at about $18 per month. The network build-out also coincided with extensive digital skills training, helping residents make effective use of internet access for work, education, health care and everyday services.

Edmonds also led DigitalC’s first expansion outside Ohio — a major milestone in its strategy to scale community broadband solutions. In partnership with local organizations and funders, DigitalC launched a pilot in Detroit, delivering free high-speed internet to 450 households in public housing through a model adapted from Cleveland’s Canopy service. The Detroit initiative, backed by philanthropic support and local partners, is designed to test how DigitalC’s community-focused approach can address digital inequities in other urban markets.

Beyond operational expansion, Edmonds’s national profile grew in 2025 with his appointment to the board of the American Association for Public Broadband. In October, the organization welcomed him as a director, citing his vision and execution for closing the digital divide. In this role, Edmonds contributes to broad policy and advocacy efforts that support public broadband initiatives and equitable access across the United States.

Through rapid network deployment, strategic geographic growth, and elevated policy engagement, 2025 was a landmark year for Edmonds and DigitalC in advancing digital equity both locally and nationally. 

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