-------- Original Message -------- Subject: [ptp-general] Read me (via Muniwireless) Date: Mon, 20 Dec 2004 11:51:50 -0800 From: Nigel Ballard <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Organization: Got Wi-Fi? To: 'PTPGeneralList' <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Matt Stone, Civitium's Government Strategist, has just written a case study about how the People's Emergency Center (PEC) wireless broadband network and training program are transforming a low-income community in Philadelphia. This case study is a must-read for everyone, especially municipal officials and state legislators, because it lays out a model that communities can adopt to fight unemployment and poverty.
PEC is a non-profit in Philadelphia that provides an emergency shelter for the homeless and affordable housing for low-income families. They are located in a neighborhood where the median family income is less than $20,000 per year. In the spring of 2002, PEC took their T-1 line and used it to deliver Wi-Fi connectivity to the neighborhood for $5 per month. Because many residents did not have computers or know how to use them, PEC began offering computer training courses. Those who completed the course were able to buy a refurbished computer with wireless card for $120. As more people finished the course and bought computers, PEC began to get support questions so they trained teenagers in the community, many of whom provide technical support to their neighbors. This was the beginning of the remarkable Digital Inclusion Program.
Matt's case study is the story of a community - a group of people who want to improve their own lives. Their story underscores how inexpensive wireless broadband provides access, not just to cool Internet applications and email, but to a completely different future than the one they used to face everyday. PEC is a strong argument against Pennsylvania House Bill 30 and the efforts of cable/DSL incumbents to block the rapid rollout of municipal wireless networks. Now imagine if all communities had very inexpensive broadband access....
To download the case study, go to: http://www.muniwireless.com/reports/docs/CivitiumPEC.pdf
Nigel Ballard [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.joejava.com
