Bringing the Internet to low-income residents

Project: Wireless Internet access for low-income residents
Jurisdiction: San Francisco
Agency: Department of Technology
Vendor: Locally based Meraki

Internet access for San Francisco residents in low-income housing is about much more than watching wacky animal videos on YouTube. It's about the opportunity to search and train for jobs, help children with homework and stay connected to the rest of the community. "Kids without Internet access in high school are behind their peers," says Michael McCarthy, community broadband manager for the San Francisco Department of Technology.

Through the city's TechConnect program, the Department of Technology has provided 3,700 housing units with free Internet access. Using the city's fiber optic network as a backbone, the department builds wireless networks for low-income housing units. For instance, when the department pulls optical fiber for a police camera, there may be "dark" or unused fiber available for a wireless network. "I try to capitalize on that as much as possible," McCarthy says.

In addition, Washington-based nonprofit One Economy used ATT Foundation Funds to build a network at one housing site. And, locally based Meraki, through its "Free the Net" initiative, is using San Francisco as a demonstration project and funding the cost of building a wireless network across the city. Using volunteers to help install repeaters, the company is helping bring access to even more units.

McCarthy points out that the first step is providing access for residents. The more difficult part is training and supporting them, which is why community partners are important. Many of the housing sites contain technology centers, where volunteers teach residents — sometimes in four different languages — how to e-mail and use Web resources like Google Maps and Craigslist.

Through TechConnect, the department also is giving residents refurbished computers to help them make the most of the network. "We're not meeting the full need," McCarthy says. "But we are doing what we can with limited funds."