Last week, the FCC released a report about broadband use in low-income
communities, and they highlighted internet use at the Rondo Outreach Library.
The report said 3 things: (1) broadband access is crucial to communities and
impacts socio-economics, and low-income communities know it; (2) price isn't
the only thing holding people back from obtaining home broadband access, but
confusing statements from providers, hidden fees, the high cost of getting and
maintaining a computer, etc. are also factors; and, (3) libraries and community
organizations are being put into positions to provide access, training and
one-on-one social services as a result of the high demand for usage.
The last time I was at Rondo, it was right after school and it was packed with
children and adults, with long lines of people waiting for internet. What's
your experience been like when you've had to go to the library for broadband
access?
Finally, if you have broadband at home, do you think your neighbors do? Do they
know how to use it? What about your non-English speaking or limited-English
speaking neighbors? What about the seniors?
The following file was added to this topic:
Thanks Boa. I look forward to reading the report.
I wonder what the FCC (part of our Federal government) and others will do or
are doing in terms of action to bridge the digital divide in the Greater
Frogtown area. It is great to see the area recognized as a case study, but what
about investments to make a success story with universal broadband for all at a
truly affordable price.
Some related items:
1. Does anyone have a good list of all the places in the the neighborhood where
people can go to get Internet access/computer training - particularly for those
who do not have access at home? I am interested in both open to the public and
sites restricted to specific people (like public housing tenants).
2. The U of M announced a big $2.9 million grant on broadband to help close the
digital divide:
http://www.ced.umn.edu/Broadband-Grant.html
Which included, "Existing lab sites are located in north and south Minneapolis
and the Frogtown area of St. Paul. These labs will be standardized and
upgraded, and training provided using materials designed in a culturally,
linguistically and technologically appropriate manner."
3. We have made preliminary contact with the U and would like to explore ways
this forum can be made more accessible to people without home Internet access
and how they might use it to reach out into the community as well. Ideally, any
public place in the area with access would at a minimum have a poster about the
forum and invite us in to sign people up from time to time. (We are doing this
in Cedar Riverside with the Brian Coyle center's lab).
4. Marny Xiong last summer noted to me her impression after going do to door to
many of the businesses on University Ave. to introduce the forum, that many of
those small businesses could use help getting online. From our web site hunt in
the area, the churches and one mosque stand out as the most "online" in the
neighborhood:
http://pages.e-democracy.org/Frogtown
(Please help add local sites/page you know about to that page.
5. Marny also mentioned that of all the places she did outreach, the Hmongtown
Market is where she ran into the most people without an e-mail address. If I
were the U or one of their partners, I'd like to get public computer
labs/Internet cafes going in locations like that! Perhaps the St. Paul
Library's new Mobile Internet access program can test the waters with that
business:
http://www.knightfdn.org/news/press_room/knight_press_releases/detail.dot?id=354924
6. I recall hearing about a possible Frogtown wi-fi project a few years ago?
What happened to that or other City of St. Paul efforts on this topic? When
will the Frogtown-area benefit? Over here in Minneapolis we have a $20/month
option in place with USIWireless that seems to have survived where other local
wi-fi projects have failed around the country.
Cheers,
Steven Clift
Where I live (Charles & Milton) there are 7 different Wi-Fi connections
available, and I wasn't happy to discover this. All over Europe, health experts
(like World Health Organisation) are advising against Wi-Fi due to the health
risks:
A British researcher has found that Wi-Fi radiation kills off brain cells,
which could lead to today's children suffering from senility in their 40s and
50s.
A Finnish study found people using cell/cordless phones for at least 10 years
were 40 times more likely to develop a brain tumor on the phone side of their
heads. Swedish research indicates the risks are actually 4 times greater than
that.
Studies reveal that people living and attending school near wireless
transmission masts have been suffering headaches, fatigue, nausea, dizziness,
and memory problems. There is particular concern for children because
physically they're more vulnerable to the effects and they'll be exposed to
them longer.
The Austrian Medical Association is lobbying against Wi-Fi in schools; Salzburg
is considering a ban.
The head of Britain's mobile safety research calls wireless "the cigarette of
the 21st century."
Just Google "Wi-Fi danger" and see all the information out there.
Do we really need these problems in Frogtown? I vote for going a safer way for
our internet access.
Gene
-----Original Message-----
From: <email obscured>
<email obscured>] On Behalf Of
<email obscured>
Sent: Friday, March 12, 2010 12:51 PM
To: <email obscured>
Subject: [Frogtown] Rondo Library featured in FCC Report
Thanks Boa. I look forward to reading the report.
I wonder what the FCC (part of our Federal government) and others will do or
are doing in terms of action to bridge the digital divide in the Greater
Frogtown area. It is great to see the area recognized as a case study, but what
about investments to make a success story with universal broadband for all at a
truly affordable price.
Some related items:
1. Does anyone have a good list of all the places in the the neighborhood where
people can go to get Internet access/computer training - particularly for those
who do not have access at home? I am interested in both open to the public and
sites restricted to specific people (like public housing tenants).
2. The U of M announced a big $2.9 million grant on broadband to help close the
digital divide:
http://www.ced.umn.edu/Broadband-Grant.html
Which included, "Existing lab sites are located in north and south Minneapolis
and the Frogtown area of St. Paul. These labs will be standardized and
upgraded, and training provided using materials designed in a culturally,
linguistically and technologically appropriate manner."
3. We have made preliminary contact with the U and would like to explore ways
this forum can be made more accessible to people without home Internet access
and how they might use it to reach out into the community as well. Ideally, any
public place in the area with access would at a minimum have a poster about the
forum and invite us in to sign people up from time to time. (We are doing this
in Cedar Riverside with the Brian Coyle center's lab).
4. Marny Xiong last summer noted to me her impression after going do to door to
many of the businesses on University Ave. to introduce the forum, that many of
those small businesses could use help getting online. From our web site hunt in
the area, the churches and one mosque stand out as the most "online" in the
neighborhood:
http://pages.e-democracy.org/Frogtown
(Please help add local sites/page you know about to that page.
5. Marny also mentioned that of all the places she did outreach, the Hmongtown
Market is where she ran into the most people without an e-mail address. If I
were the U or one of their partners, I'd like to get public computer
labs/Internet cafes going in locations like that! Perhaps the St. Paul
Library's new Mobile Internet access program can test the waters with that
business:
http://www.knightfdn.org/news/press_room/knight_press_releases/detail.dot?id=354924
6. I recall hearing about a possible Frogtown wi-fi project a few years ago?
What happened to that or other City of St. Paul efforts on this topic? When
will the Frogtown-area benefit? Over here in Minneapolis we have a $20/month
option in place with USIWireless that seems to have survived where other local
wi-fi projects have failed around the country.
Cheers,
Steven Clift
Steven Clift
Ericsson, Minneapolis
Info about Steven Clift: http://forums.e-democracy.org/p/stevenclift
View all messages on this topic at:
http://forums.e-democracy.org/r/topic/J7KFUaqNHuIkcQvyf2bku
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Excellent point Gene. I have read similar reports, and it seems the U.S. is
turning a blind eye to this research. Ever since becoming a parent I have been
following this issue. Unfortunately children are at the highest risk for these
problems. That is why many European schools are required to be Wi-fi free
zones. I would not be excited to see St. Paul pursue a high-powered universal
wi-fi network.
Josef
--- On Fri, 3/12/10, G Marault <email obscured>> wrote:
From: G Marault <email obscured>>
Subject: Re: [Frogtown] Rondo Library featured in FCC Report
To: <email obscured>, <email obscured>
Date: Friday, March 12, 2010, 1:39 PM
Where I live (Charles & Milton) there are 7 different Wi-Fi connections
available, and I wasn't happy to discover this. All over Europe, health experts
(like World Health Organisation) are advising against Wi-Fi due to the health
risks:
A British researcher has found that Wi-Fi radiation kills off brain cells,
which could lead to today's children suffering from senility in their 40s and
50s.
A Finnish study found people using cell/cordless phones for at least 10 years
were 40 times more likely to develop a brain tumor on the phone side of their
heads. Swedish research indicates the risks are actually 4 times greater than
that.
Studies reveal that people living and attending school near wireless
transmission masts have been suffering headaches, fatigue, nausea, dizziness,
and memory problems. There is particular concern for children because
physically they're more vulnerable to the effects and they'll be exposed to
them longer.
The Austrian Medical Association is lobbying against Wi-Fi in schools; Salzburg
is considering a ban.
The head of Britain's mobile safety research calls wireless "the cigarette of
the 21st century."
Just Google "Wi-Fi danger" and see all the information out there.
Do we really need these problems in Frogtown? I vote for going a safer way for
our internet access.
Gene
-----Original Message-----
From: <email obscured>
<email obscured>] On Behalf Of
<email obscured>
Sent: Friday, March 12, 2010 12:51 PM
To: <email obscured>
Subject: [Frogtown] Rondo Library featured in FCC Report
Thanks Boa. I look forward to reading the report.
I wonder what the FCC (part of our Federal government) and others will do or
are doing in terms of action to bridge the digital divide in the Greater
Frogtown area. It is great to see the area recognized as a case study, but what
about investments to make a success story with universal broadband for all at a
truly affordable price.
Some related items:
1. Does anyone have a good list of all the places in the the neighborhood where
people can go to get Internet access/computer training - particularly for those
who do not have access at home? I am interested in both open to the public and
sites restricted to specific people (like public housing tenants).
2. The U of M announced a big $2.9 million grant on broadband to help close the
digital divide:
http://www.ced.umn.edu/Broadband-Grant.html
Which included, "Existing lab sites are located in north and south Minneapolis
and the Frogtown area of St. Paul. These labs will be standardized and
upgraded, and training provided using materials designed in a culturally,
linguistically and technologically appropriate manner."
3. We have made preliminary contact with the U and would like to explore ways
this forum can be made more accessible to people without home Internet access
and how they might use it to reach out into the community as well. Ideally, any
public place in the area with access would at a minimum have a poster about the
forum and invite us in to sign people up from time to time. (We are doing this
in Cedar Riverside with the Brian Coyle center's lab).
4. Marny Xiong last summer noted to me her impression after going do to door to
many of the businesses on University Ave. to introduce the forum, that many of
those small businesses could use help getting online. From our web site hunt in
the area, the churches and one mosque stand out as the most "online" in the
neighborhood:
http://pages.e-democracy.org/Frogtown
(Please help add local sites/page you know about to that page.
5. Marny also mentioned that of all the places she did outreach, the Hmongtown
Market is where she ran into the most people without an e-mail address. If I
were the U or one of their partners, I'd like to get public computer
labs/Internet cafes going in locations like that! Perhaps the St. Paul
Library's new Mobile Internet access program can test the waters with that
business:
http://www.knightfdn.org/news/press_room/knight_press_releases/detail.dot?id=354924
6. I recall hearing about a possible Frogtown wi-fi project a few years ago?
What happened to that or other City of St. Paul efforts on this topic? When
will the Frogtown-area benefit? Over here in Minneapolis we have a $20/month
option in place with USIWireless that seems to have survived where other local
wi-fi projects have failed around the country.
Cheers,
Steven Clift
Steven Clift
Ericsson, Minneapolis
Info about Steven Clift: http://forums.e-democracy.org/p/stevenclift
View all messages on this topic at:
http://forums.e-democracy.org/r/topic/J7KFUaqNHuIkcQvyf2bku
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Genevieve Marault
East Midway, Saint Paul
Info about Genevieve Marault:
http://forums.e-democracy.org/p/4IN48nvO1gF1IOGHiPtZ9C
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This is a very interesting discussion. Gene and Josef bring up really good
points. In a world where many things are moving online -- including even the
simplest things like applying for government assistance when we're economically
disadvantaged -- how do we balance making broadband accessible to everyone
while being sensitive to wi-fi radiation?
If the solution is not universal (citywide) broadband, what could it be? Is
investing in 24-hour, free (or affordable) public computer centers that provide
access so that people aren't "required" to get their own a solution? What is
accessibility and what should just such a public computer center look like?
Public computer centers won't help people who can't get there.
Of all the people I know, in every income level, only a few don't have TVs and
it's not because they can't afford them. So, ideally, something (keyboard and
cable at least) that can connect to TVs and access the web through them would
be perfect. (Fourteen years ago a Vice President at Comcast told me cable was
moving in this direction.)
Cable companies, online advertisers, and others could be asked to subsidize the
service for low-income people (like the phone company does now).
That's my thought.
Gene
-----Original Message-----
From: <email obscured>
<email obscured>] On Behalf Of
<email obscured>
Sent: Monday, March 15, 2010 7:36 PM
To: <email obscured>
Subject: [Frogtown] Rondo Library featured in FCC Report
This is a very interesting discussion. Gene and Josef bring up really good
points. In a world where many things are moving online -- including even the
simplest things like applying for government assistance when we're economically
disadvantaged -- how do we balance making broadband accessible to everyone
while being sensitive to wi-fi radiation?
If the solution is not universal (citywide) broadband, what could it be? Is
investing in 24-hour, free (or affordable) public computer centers that provide
access so that people aren't "required" to get their own a solution? What is
accessibility and what should just such a public computer center look like?
Boa Lee
St. Paul
Info about Boa Lee: http://forums.e-democracy.org/p/66d8svB70rC3wM8xIm00DG
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Genevieve,
You are ahead of the curve ... at least in the U.S.. Great idea!
In the UK, they are investing in TV-based information services just like you've
envisioned:
http://lookinglocal.gov.uk/
http://lookinglocal.gov.uk/site/tour/
Why not have Frogtown be a national test site for something similar in the
U.S.? The FCC is unveiling their National Broadband Plan today:
http://www.broadband.gov
If they want to walk the talk, they need to leverage lessons from the UK where
inclusion has been a major focus for years.