Post in MTN & Portals

Nov 12 17:21 UTC

On Nov 12, 2007, at 11:00 AM, Catherine Settanni wrote:

>
>
> The "Civic Garden"(Portal Project) provides for this resource,
> FREE-- to all who can get the wireless signal (or have a wireless
> modem). This is for ALL city residents, not just USI Wireless
> Network or other Internet subscribers, and is a great way to
> introduce Internet use to new users (especially new Immigrant
> families who currently don't use the Internet for a variety of
> reasons).
>
Immigrants and refugees in large numbers go to Mpls public libraries
for free access to the Internet. There may be significant coffee shop
usage too but I don't have any numbers for that venue.

No doubt the children of the immigrants and refugees will make use of
wifi.
>
> It's important to understand that the Portal project was identified
> as a critical component of the Community Benefits Agreement(CBA).
> Residents who participated in CBA efforts represent a diversity of
> disenfranchised communities who understand that social and economic
> inclusion now depend on "digital inclusion"-- which the Minneapolis
> Digital Inclusion Task Force defined as including (free) access to
> online community content and resources.
>
And large numbers of the public in Mpls (and St. Paul) - representing
"a diversity of disenfranchised communities" supported public access
when cable first came to the cities.

Prior to that we (the disenfranchised communities) relied on
commercial television's obligation to provide public access time -
although it was quite limited. There were the Sunday programs
Madagimo and Harambee and I believe there was a Latino program but I
can't remember the time it aired.

Compare this with the public access programming of today and we see
the value of putting access into the contracts with the cable companies.

Laura
Southeast/Como

Laura Waterman Wittstock
President and CEO
Wittstock & Associates
913 19th Ave SE
Minneapolis, MN 55414
612-387-4915
www.laurawatermanwittstock.com