For some, gaining access to the information super highway is a major hurdle. The cost of a computer and high-speed access prevents some from taking advantage of the Internet, but the FCC and the federal government are looking to step and help out.
The federal government will unveil a plan today that pushes low cost computers and high speed Internet access to low-income students and their families.
Cox, Charter, Time Warner Cable and other Internet service providers plan to offer $9.95 monthly broadband service to households eligible for school-lunch aid, and PC refurbisher Redemtech will sell $150 laptops and desktop PCs with monitors.
The initiative is part of a stepped-up effort by the Federal Communications Commission to roll out fast Internet connections to an estimated 100 million Americans who don’t have broadband and are in danger of falling behind in a technology-driven economy.
The percentage of Americans who use broadband Internet at home rose to 68% last year, but “a persistent digital divide” continues in rural communities and especially among low-income blacks and Hispanics, says a report from the Commerce Department’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA).
As part of the FCC’s Connect to Compete public-private initiative, Microsoft will develop $250 laptops and desktops aimed at low-income students and families, says FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski. Students and families can apply for micro loans to help with the cost. Morgan Stanley will develop a loan program that incorporates local lenders.
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