Mesh/Oakland
This page is for documenting research on access to computers and Internet in Oakland, active organizations tackling the digital divide, and local ISPs that allow for sharing bandwidth in their Terms of Service.
Research
City of Oakland Wireless Broadband Feasibility Study (2009) - Lengthy report on the feasibility of providing free municipal wifi throughout the city of Oakland. Research included focus groups with representatives from the various districts of Oakland, public comments, and extensive mapping of a wireless network operating on the 2.4GHz and 4.9Mz bands.
Organizations
We've been working on a spreadsheet of Oakland community organizations [grassroots, schools, churches, non-profits, etc], which can be found here.
The following is a curation of organizations addressing the digital divide in Oakland (via Oakland Wiki:
- Oakland Technology Exchange West
- Get Connected! Oakland - the City's initiative to connect business and more working on tech and internet access. Ask Nicole from Open Oak.
- Youth Radio
- The Stride Center
- ReliaTech - San Pablo-based computer repair/refurnishing/support
- Community Computer Centers run by the nonprofit OCCUR
- Lions Center for the Blind
- The Museum of Art and Digital Entertainment - free classes for kids and adults.
- Mosswood Recreational Center - contact is Dan Finlay, a friend of Sudo Room.
- Oakland Public Library Computer Education
- Oakland Unified School District Adult & Career Education
- Techbridge - Inspiring girls in science & tech
- Hidden Genius Project
- Mouse Squad of California - contact is Hilary Naylor
- Oakland Digital Arts & Literacy Center (ODALC or Oakland Digital, for short) - Executive Director is Shaun Tai
- Youth UpRising
- Black Engineering and Science Students Association - out of UC Berkeley
- Youth Movement Records (possibly unrelated - works with youth and music)
- Urban Strategies - contact is Steve Spiker
- Liberating Ourselves Locally - a POC and women-centered makerspace in East Oakland
- Oakland Asian Students Educational Services
- Alameda County Computer Resource Center - ewaste recyclying program that builds refurbished laptops for low-income and unemployed Oakland residents
- PC Community Computer Users Group
- Acorn Computer Learning Center - Computer training school
- Urban Habitat
- Business Education Technology
- EOBA - East Oakland Boxing Association - Tutoring/Academic Assistance
- City of Oakland, Office of Parks and Recreation
- Assets Project - Provides job training in computer literacy for Oakland residents aged 55+
- Kapor Center for Social Impact
- Level Playing Field Institute (related to Kapor Foundation)
- Ready Set Connect - A project of the Oakland Public Libraries
- Hack the Hood
- Media Alliance
- Black Girls Code
Mesh-friendly ISPs
Some ISPs allow sharing of Internet access and others do not. We provide node owners with a list of local ISPs that are known to allow sharing of Internet access and advise them that some ISPs may not allow sharing. The worst case scenario here is that one or more users get their Internet disconnected for terms of service violation.
The ISPs in the East Bay that allow Internet Connection sharing (that we know of) are: