Miami – To help link communities to technologies that can potentially transform the way people live and work, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation has partnered with One Economy and Intel Solution Services to host a series of online forums on the promise and potential of municipal wireless initiatives.
Bringing expert advice from Intel Solution Services and One Economy together with key decision makers from the communities where Knight Foundation serves as a local funder, the series kicks off today with the first of three virtual webinars.
Municipal wireless is seen as a way to bring the Internet to large areas of a community, spur economic development and innovation, improve public services, and reach previously underserved populations.
The forums offer expert advice from both Intel Solution Services and One Economy. One Economy, a nonprofit group working to expand Internet access to underserved communities, has already begun to create Digital Inclusion plans as part of the wireless initiatives of more than a dozen local governments. These plans enable municipalities to maximize the impact of their wireless strategies by ensuring that all residents have access to computers, training, and the Internet, regardless of income.
Intel Solution Services, which is Intel Corporation’s consulting organization, has architected a number of successful wireless initiatives around the world to help municipalities make better use of tax dollars, bridge the digital divide and increase the quality of life for its citizens.
“The technology may be complicated, but ultimately we’re talking about something very simple: connecting community,” said
Some Knight communities are already well on their way toward developing municipal wireless or broadband systems. Others are thinking about it. Whatever the level of progress, the online forums seek to provide the information communities need to create systems that are useful, affordable and accessible for all. Knight Foundation is not promoting any particular platform, and any policies a community develops that apply to wireless can apply to all technologies that could supplant it in the future.
“One Economy is pleased to play a role in this valuable Knight initiative,” said Ben Hecht, president of One Economy. “Wireless municipal efforts must address not only affordable Internet access but content that people can use to improve their lives. Over eight million people have already benefited from this type of content on our consumer website, The Beehive [www.beehive.org].”
“Wireless technology promises connectivity and data integration that will make people’s lives much easier and enhance the overall user experience. We are excited to be part of a team dedicated to accelerating the adoption of wireless technology in the community,” said Ryan King, solution development manager for Intel Solution Services.
Topics to be covered include:
Digital Inclusion
One Economy and Intel Solution Services will describe digital inclusion programs being implemented in various communities, including methods to organize affordable computer purchase programs, integrate affordable high-speed Internet into low-income neighborhoods and form and fund youth-led training programs.
Environmental Scan
One Economy and Intel Solution Services will present overviews of wireless projects around the country, including two case studies of successful projects in
Technology, Vendors and Information Channels
One Economy and Intel will provide information on the technology resources, vendors and information channels supporting nationwide digital community efforts. They will outline the current state, capabilities, limitations and projected future of wireless digital connectivity.
Knight Foundation will publish the webinars, a detailed record of the discussions and community information at www.kfwireless.net.
About the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation
The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation promotes journalism excellence worldwide and invests in the vitality of communities where the Knight brothers owned newspapers. For more information, visit www.knightfdn.org/annual.
About One Economy Corporation
One Economy Corporation is a multi-national nonprofit founded in 2000 that uses technology-based strategies to help low income people improve their lives and join the economic mainstream. One Economy’s two prong strategy brings broadband into the home along with online content through their bi-lingual consumer website the Beehive (www.beehive.org). Through its Bring IT Home campaign, One Economy has helped bring broadband into the homes of 200,000 low-income people. To date nearly nine million individuals have used the Beehive. One Economy recently launched a campaign to expand these online offerings by creating the Public Internet Channel. For more information: www.one-economy.com.
About Intel® Solution Services
Intel Solution Services is Intel Corporation’s worldwide professional services organization, helping companies capitalize on the full value of Intel architecture through consulting focused on business transformation. Intel Solution Services’ consultants can give municipalities and enterprise companies the confidence to innovate by using their in-depth knowledge of Intel architecture and next-generation technologies to design cost-effective, cutting-edge solutions to the most complex business challenges. Combining architecture expertise, state-of-the-art facilities, and strong industry alliances, Intel Solution Services can help organizations get the most out of its IT investments. For more information about Intel Solution Services, visit www.intel.com/go/intelsolutionservices, or contact us at www.intel.com/info/intelsolutionservices. To contact us by telephone, call toll free in the
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are answers to some of your questions about Knight Foundation’s work to bring together communities interested in developing municipal wi-fi strategies:
What is wi-fi?
Wi-fi stands for wireless fidelity. It is a set of protocols that allow computers to communicate wirelessly. A basic wi-fi set up is a box (called an access point), connected to the Internet via a DSL or cable modem, which transmits to any wi-fi enabled computer within a certain radius.
Why is Knight Foundation supporting wireless development in its communities?
Knight Foundation is interested in any technology that will benefit our communities or programs. Wireless is a potentially transformative technology. Parallels can be drawn between the current state of municipal wireless and the early days of cable television: Communities armed with the best information about the technology and its possibilities negotiated deals that provided the greatest benefits and services.
Many of our communities are looking for some sort of guidance; others could be the guides. We can help connect them to each other and experts in the field like One Economy and Intel Community Solutions Group. Our goal, as a national foundation with local roots, is to bring together and harness the power of our communities spread across
Is Knight Foundation investing in municipal wireless systems in its communities?
No. We are acting as a convener and connector for interested parties in Knight communities.
Is Knight Foundation an advocate for municipal wireless technology?
Knight is neutral and agnostic as to platform. We are advocating for a system that leaves room for growth and the advent of new technologies. We strive to help our communities select the best possible system: one that is affordable, accessible and useful to the citizens of Knight communities. The policies communities develop that apply to wireless will apply to all technologies that could supplant it in the future.
Is Knight Foundation promoting the idea that local governments install and manage these systems, and compete against the private sector?
No. It is up to each community to select a business model that best fits its needs based on the local economic and political environment. This includes allowing bidding by either a single vendor or a consortium of vendors, or creating collaboration between government and the private sector. Participation in the webinars will expose communities to the various different models being tried around the country.
Our community has already published an RFP or selected a vendor. Is there any reason for us to participate?
Yes. One of the goals of these webinars is provide information about the different ways that municipal wireless could benefit a community and all of its residents. Your community could learn how municipal wireless is being used in other communities, as well as share information about your RFP process and vendor selection.
What is Knight offering to do for the communities it supports?
We are convening key stakeholders in our communities and bringing them together. We are also using our resources as a national foundation to attract those with extensive expertise in the field, like One Economy and Intel. And we will attempt to leverage the fact that we have 26 communities to try to negotiate better deals for those who wish to engage Intel, One Economy or any of the technology providers in their communities after the webinars.