A while ago “I commented on Earthlink’s Municipal Wireless Strategy”:1. Jerry Grasso recently responded on this blog to some of my suggestions:
bq. Dana: You state –
bq. “In the interview on the Wireless Weblog, EarthLink also acknowledges that there’s an issue with low income and digital divide service: though they can provide internet, families need PC’s as well. EarthLink would do well to persue partnerships with local non-profits for this part of the solution, as many cities have free or cheap PC programs that provide computers to low income residents. They’d also do well to work with local organizations to provide training and other services.”
bq. Actually we are – as you know, we spoke relatively early into our development process (we had just won ANA and PHI) and we discussed that the digital inclusion process would ‘include’ low-cost bandwidth for the financially disadvantaged.
bq. I mean, what’s the point of affordable broadband if you can’t afford the equipment to access it?
bq. Bear with us, we’ll make the appropriate announcements/info public when the time comes…
bq. Hope all is well – Jerry Grasso
EarthLink
I’m glad to see that Earthlink is looking at the big picture when it comes to their networks. As a company, they are best served when most people in their service areas have access to technology that will make their wireless internet networks meaningful.
[1]http://www.wirelesscommunity.info/2006/02/01/a-closer-look-at-earthlinks-muni-wifi-strategy/
Filed under: Community Wireless, Muniwireless, Policy
Dana, I appreciate you providing a forum for this topic, as it is a critical one. I am glad also to see Earthlink trying, but so many attempts to cross the digital divide stop at the facilitiy level. They provide the facility (bandwidth, equipment, and even training) for community groups to access the Internet. What they do not provide, is a strong motivator for these communities to participate. What is the killer app for a disadvantaged community? What will spark uptake that will drive adoption? When I was working on a proposal to partner with southside Chicago communities with Internetaccess, we came across this 500 pound gorilla in community participation. Our solution was to give them the tools to create content that was important to them. Local newsletters, community portals, etc. It was an atomization of Internet content at the community level and it was directly relevant to those populations. If you build it they may not come, but if you meet a need they have (this is basic Peter Drucker!), you can build a community enterprise. This is the hard work public policy part that will determine the success or failure of community networking.
Bill,
These are very good points. You are right that bridging the digital divide is much, much more than just providing low cost access or low cost computers. One thing that’s for sure is that EarthLink can’t accomplish this by themselves, or even just with a city. It requires the involvement of many interested parties, non-profit, community-based organizations and otherwise.
This is something that NYCwireless is working on in. We don’t know what the killer apps are yet for muni-networks, but we’ve started a database of ideas at “http://www.nycwireless.net/MuniNetworkApps”:http://www.nycwireless.net/MuniNetworkApps .
I’d encourage readers to add to this page (its a wiki).
I can’t believe the pettiness and the dirtiness in the muni wireless world!
I was going to attend the MuniWireless conference in Dallas next week, but now I am not – because I wanted to explore possibilities for an app I am creating for muni wifi and to hear the full story about New Orleans. Particularly how Greg Meffert pushed out the first true muni wifi in the aftermath of Katrina.
However, some friends I have in Earthlink told me they have some sort of problem with Greg Meffert even though he brought them into New Orleans. So they used their sponsor role to force him off the agenda. I think that is terrible – Meffert really made the city better – not just the wifi but the city website too.
What I also heard happened was that Earthlink tried to give him money him to fix a commission vote in the French Quarter, and he told them he wouldn’t do it. They are dirty.
I know he has been in the news lately, but as a citizen of New Orleans I am sorry he left his post in the Mayor’s office – he was the only person with any sort of vision. I wanted to support him in Dallas, but now I won’t be coming.
Seems I guess that even the new telcoms are just like the old ones, just bullies that want only their way and truth known, and attack anyone who dissents. I don’t need to go all the way there to hear an Earthlink commercial instead of a real story.