Wireless broadband: anti-poverty weapon

[RandomUser]

Here's something I found on broadbandreports.

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Wireless broadband: anti-poverty weapon

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

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http://www.muniwireless.com/archives/000524.html

[DrGonzoLives]

1. Wireless is wonderful

IF you have a computer with a wireless card, or can afford the upgrade. However, chances are, if they're poor already, they're not going to be able to take advantage of this.

[RandomUser]

2. They started out poor

Let's examine how the case study evolved.

If you have zero money, you obviously can't buy a computer at the start, but at the end of the case study, you should have no problem.

Let's examine the situation and see how one who begins with Zero money and poor can get out of poverty.

One They were in neighborhood where the average family makes less than $20K per year. I think we can agree that this is poor? Right? Perhaps not homeless-level poor, but poor nonetheless.

Two In any neighborhood, there is a spectrum. There will be some who make slightly above 20k, to those who starve and can barely make rent, or can't pay rent because of unemployment and room with relatives or whatnot.

Three The computers with wireless cards and networking only cost $120 (refurbished by the homeless shelter). There will be people in the neighborhood who can afford that. And homeless people living in the shelter who can't.

Four The homeless people, and poor teenagers with no skills or future, are taught how to service these computers. This gives them income.

Five Because of the refurbished computers and the wireless system put in place by the homeless shelter, these newly educated homeless people and teenagers now have a market demanding their skills right in their neighborhood. This gives them income, and boosts the local economy.

Six These homeless people and prospectless teenagers are now able to move up and out of poverty thanks to this livelihood, and can buy their own computers if they wish.

So you see, it's a ripple effect that very much benefits the homeless people and ones in abject poverty who can't afford computers. But it took the intiative of the homeless center to make it happen. They needed to provide the wireless broadband access, refurbished computers, and training classes to jumpstart everything. It should also be noted that wireless access, more specifically internet access and skills, helps beyond just giving new livelihoods -- it revitalizes the entire neighborhood's economy through facilitation.

So I must say I disagree with your statement that this can't help those who can't afford a computer. It can, and it has.

[Name removed]

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[Sugarbleus]

4. I think this is an exciting story...

Obviously the individuals haven't reached wealth status yet, but they've learned and achieved much. Anything beats zero. And who knows where it will lead. This is a positive example.

I wish an energized community of individuals would start stuff like this all over the country.

My family is in the underclass catagory; $20-22,000 but we live in a middle class neighborhood and we've worked through out our lives. We were late bloomers; got edu ma cated' (lol) slooooooowly over time. We appreciate it when we hear of programs to help people see their own potential and learn they are more than their surroundings. It DOES take team work though and some community involvment to get things started. SOMEBODY has to have the "bright" idea to begin with.

MOST people don't want simple charity (though it's appreciated), A HAND UP is much better. Someone to teach A skill, give us a decent job with decent wages and the rest is history.

I notice I say "us". Actually, we are aging and disabled and semi retired. I just relate to those with zero so closely that I often include myself.

Good post.

[RandomUser]

5. Muni-broadband is under attack from telecom lobbyists

One of the reasons wireless broadband is the best vehicle for bringing the internet to poor communities is because of the lower financial investment in physical infrastructure (you don't need to run a line into every home). And because it can be cast as a public good, communities can band together and roll their own.

Unfortunately, corporate special interest are already fighting to stop communities from rolling out their own wireless broadband. And the telecoms are winning, shoving through anti-competitive legislation to stop community-owned efforts like the one described in the case-study above involving the homeless shelter.

Big telecom and cable companies have responded by furiously working to slam the door on community wireless. The telephone and cable giants are trying to use their lobbying clout in state capitals to pre-empt local control, preserve higher prices and preclude competition.

The most high-profile of these fights occurred in Pennsylvania, where Verizon pushed through a bill in late November – in the face of widespread public outrage – to prevent local communities from offering competitive broadband services. Though a last-minute compromise spared the ambitious plans for citywide municipal Wi-Fi service in Philadelphia, the rest of the state was shut out.

Pennsylvania is one of 14 states with laws on the books restricting municipal broadband. In the face of burgeoning public opposition, the telecom and cable companies are moving quickly to write their monopolies into law. Corporate front groups like the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) have even created model anti-municipal legislation for sympathetic state legislators to copy.

Currently, eight states are considering anti-municipal broadband measures. Jim Baller, a principal attorney for the Baller Herbst Law Group and leading expert on municipal networks, provided Free Press with analysis of pending legislation in each state.

http://www.freepress.net/communityinternet/=munibroad

Not only are they more interested in lining their own pockets, rather than in helping impoverished communities -- they're now legislating against allowing those communities to help themselves.