Inspiring stuff happening in Kansas City :)
See
http://oaklandwiki.org/Digital_Divide for relevant organizations
working on these issues in Oakland.
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: jenny <jenny(a)thepyre.org>
Date: Wed, Nov 6, 2013 at 7:38 AM
Subject: [FNF] How We Connect Low Income People to the Internet
To: tunabananas <tunabananas(a)gmail.com>
* --- forwarded message --- *
Sun Nov 03 2013 06:52:01 AM PST from "Michael Liimatta" <
michael(a)connectingforgood.org> Subject: [FNF] How We Connect Low Income
People to the Internet
[image: hiring]
The Digital Divide is very real in Kansas City. We believe it is one of
the most important social justice issues of our day.
· 25% of Kansas City area residents don’t have broadband Internet access at
home. (3-5 Mb)
· 42% of those who don’t use the Internet have annual household incomes of
under $25,000, most of whom live in low income housing.
· 46% of nonusers are minorities.
· 70% of Kansas City Public Schools students do not have the Internet in
their homes. *
At Connecting for Good, our core belief is that connectivity equals
opportunity. Access to the Internet brings with it a chance to apply for
jobs online, connections with family and friends, access to virtual library
shelves, information about medical and health issues, online education –
GED completion and college courses – and a whole lot more. These are
resources with the potential to help an under resourced family move toward
a healthier, happier and more secure future.
To make the Internet more accessible, especially for those who live in
Kansas City’s under resourced neighborhoods, we have developed a
multifaceted approach to making affordable connectivity available.
*Affordable and Accessible Internet Through Wireless Networks*
[image:
map]<http://www.connectingforgood.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/map…
We are uniting with other nonprofit organizations, schools, government
entities and neighborhood associations to increase Internet access to
underserved inner city communities. As a wireless ISP, Connecting for Good
is building a network of inter-connected microwave towers, along with our
partners, the Free Network Foundation and the KC Freedom Network.
Most recently, we were engaged by the Urban Neighborhood Initiative to do
an engineering and feasibility for the Troost
Corridor<http://www.big5kc.com/greater-neighborhoods/troost-corridor-map…p/>.
UNI is one of the Big 5 initiatives of the Kansas City Chamber of
Commerce. We have also been involved with similar studies with a school
and another community group. Our goal is to create a strategy for engaging
additional partners to work with us to build community owned and operated
wireless networks.
*Neighborhood-wide Wi-Fi Deployments*
[image: juniper]
The wireless backbone has created an opportunity to “light up” entire
neighborhoods with Wi-Fi mesh
networks<http://www.connectingforgood.org/understanding-mesh-networks-vi…
will bring extremely affordable connectivity to individual homes,
businesses and nonprofit organizations. We are currently working
with neighborhood associations, property owners, residents and other
community groups who are interested in building such locally owned and
operated networks.
*Multi-family Properties*
[image: RR2]
One of the groups with the lowest rates of in-home Internet access is
families who live in public housing and Section 8 multi-unit properties.
We have already built Wi-Fi networks in three of these facilities that
provide free Internet to over 500 low income households. We are in working
toward developing similar projects at additional properties throughout the
Kansas City Metro area.
*Public Access Computer Centers*
*[image: public_lab2]*
Until everyone has Internet access in their own homes, we must provide
public places where people can connect to the Internet. Connecting for Good
is partnering with community groups to create more public access computer
centers. As a Microsoft Registered Refurbisher, we create high quality
inexpensive computers by collecting used PCs, wiping their data and
installing new operating systems and other software. Using this recycled
equipment, we are setting up public spaces where residents can access the
Internet and all the resources it offers. Through our free digital life
skills classes <http://www.connectingforgood.org/digital-life-skill/>, we
are helping many who have never used a computer to become productive
first-time Internet users.
*Free Wi-Fi in Public Spaces*
*[image: wifi]*
Working with community partners we are also creating hotspots in strategic
locations in the inner city such as bus stops and other well-trafficked
public places. The goal is very simple to bring the Internet to people
where they are.
If you are interested in supporting our efforts or wish to learn more
about engaging us for a project in your neighborhood or facility, please
use our contact form <http://www.connectingforgood.org/contact-us/>.
For more information about our efforts, watch our recent presentation to
the Kansas City MO City
Council<http://www.connectingforgood.org/city-council-presentation/>(
10/31/13).
* Google Fiber’s study Kansas City’s Digital
Divide<https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B3QoaUQ_F4CjT3VuaGRxYW4yR28/edit?…
on June 22, 2012.
TO UNSUBSCRIBE FROM THIS NEWSLETTER SIMPLY REPLY AND TYPE “UNSUBSCRIBE” IN
THE SUBJECT LINE
*[image: horizontal2]* <http://www.connectingforgood.org/>
*Michael Liimatta, President & Co-founder3101 Troost Avenue, Kansas City MO
64109 Phone: (816) 217-9637 <%28816%29%20217-9637> **@connectingkc
<https://twitter.com/connectingkc>*
*
http://www.connectingforgood.org <http://www.connectingforgood.org/>*
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