Google Fiber is going to be installed for free, and it will continue to be a free service to those residing in public housing, and for low-income housing residents.
The program will be launching only in the USA.
Google Fiber has started in the Kansas City Area; Austin, Texas; and Provo, Utah. The service is planning to expand to Atlanta; Charlotte and Raleigh-Durham, N.C; Nashville, Tenn.; Salt Lake City; Phoenix, Portland, Ore., San Antonio; and San Jose, Calif. Of course, Google isn’t going to stop there.
Internet users across the US are sick and tired of Comcast, and their shenanigans. It’s just a matter of time until Google will envelope the whole country in fiber. But, is this a good thing? Giving Google so much power? Setting the big G on the path of owning a monopoly?
Until those kind of problems arise, and bet your sweet tush they will, eventually, Google is helping low-income residents in select communities. The free service will be available in every Google Fiber market.
From The Mapping The Digital Divide
This service will be a part of ConnectHome, a program issued by The White House, and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development – simply put HUD – that aims to offer a free, and reliable Internet connection in order to educate school-aged children about the Internet, and the endless possibilities it has.
Erica Swanson, who is the head of community impact for Google Fiber, has said, in a blog post on Google’s official blog, that – ” We’re proud to partner with HUD to connect families in four of the communities they’ve selected — Atlanta, Durham, Nashville and Kansas City. We’ll also extend the program to every other current and future Google Fiber market.”
It seems that Google isn’t going to be the only one in this new adventure that aims to help those less fortunate. Provider CenturyLink is going to offer their services at lower costs for families living in assisted housing – for the first year, $9.95 per month, and for the next four years the price is going to go up to $14.95.
Also, Cox Communications, and Sprint, will do the exact thing, but in different areas – Macon, Meriden, Baton Rouge, and New Orleans for those who are eligible to enter the program that The White House, and HUD have initiated.
To be fair, The Devil, oups, I mean, Comcast, has done the same in the past with their Internet Essentials.
Swanson also notes that this is just the beginning, and going further is crucial for the initiative to be successful – ” Providing an Internet connection is just one piece of the puzzle. People can only take advantage of the many benefits of the Web when they understand why it matters and know how to use it.”
In November, Google initiated their free Internet and digital literacy program which enlisted housing residents from Austin, Texas. About 90 percent of the users that used their Google Fiber free service agreed to take the classes, and more than half of those initially enlisted successfully finished the course.
Although this seems extraordinary, and I applaud their actions, there are a lot of things to be done. Giving certain people the puzzle pieces is fine, and dandy, but helping them solve the whole puzzle is another thing. Also, there a lot of other less fortunate families that can’t enlist in the Google Fiber program. The White House seems to agree with me – “[…] there is still a substantial distance to go, particularly in our poorest neighborhoods and most rural communities, to ensure that all Americans can take advantage of the opportunities created by recent advances in computing and communications technology.”
This comes as a reminder that everyone needs to help everyone if we want humanity to evolve into something more.
