2014-12-06

Google Works To Close The Digitial Divide, Bringing Free Internet To Public Housing


It is becoming evident that for a variety of reasons, including cost, infrastructure, literacy, and attitudes, a “digital divide” is developing between those who are in a position to take advantage of technology-enabled opportunities and those who are not.

Ariel Schwartz, Senior Editor at Co.Exist:

In Austin, Google is helping to bridge that gap by offering its Google Fiber high-speed Internet service to the 4,300 people who live in public housing offered by the Housing Authority of the City of Austin (HACA). Once a household signs on, they get 10 years of free service (and the option to upgrade to more premium services at any time).

“This is the first partnership with a major public housing provider in a big city in which residents are being offered Fiber to the home and the opportunity to sign up for that at no cost,” says Parisa Fatehi-Weeks, the community impact manager for Google Fiber Austin.

 



Read more: http://ift.tt/1u57s8G