Is Free Internet Access Too Radical? Extending Internet Access to Low-Income KC Families

About 100 people at the downtown Kansas City public library on Thursday, November 29 heard KCK mayor Joe Reardon and Kansas City Missouri mayor Sly James announce a new "Starter Internet" service offering by Time Warner. The low-cost service offering will provide families in nine school districts -- up to 85,000 students -- with a $10 per month 5 megabit per second Internet connection. James stated the "affordable option will allow them to compete in school" and that the joint effort could allow "every single student in this area to get a quality education." Extending Internet access to low-income families could "help bridge the digital divide," James added.

The offering allows customers who relocate in the city to retain their Internet offering. Time Warner also announced that 14 locations throughout the city such as the River Market will gain "free" wifi hotspots for Time Warner customers.

KCK high schools have provided each student with a laptop for the past 8 or 9 years, Reardon mentioned. He spoke about the urgency to keep students and their families involved with new technology to help them maintain an edge in studies and jobs.

While the students, parents and advocates support the low-cost Internet service, they also know where to find free Internet access. A Kansas City Missouri public library representative pointed out there are 700 public computers throughout the library system, and noted that people parked their cars outside using the free wifi service. She added the public library is focused on digital literacy.

If Kansas City wanted to differentiate itself from other cities, then it should consider developing plans for free, city-wide access, not limited to pockets of service around public schools, public libraries or dependent on a costly home Internet package. Small cities like Ponca City, Oklahoma (population 25,387) provide city-wide access and Lawrence Freenet provides free access to residents of publicly-subsidized housing. Hollywood, Florida (pop 125,000) has it, though, not without problems. There's a long list of cities that have provided free wifi to parts or all of their residents. And Chicago is considering a municipal wifi network.

A service offering of the type Chicago is considering could go a long way to helping that city's residents close the digital divide.

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