ALBANY Grant to provide free Internet for low-income areas BY JILL BRYCE Gazette Reporter Reach Gazette reporter Jill Bryce at 432-4391 or jbryce@dailygazette.net.
A local telecommunication and Internet service provider got a boost on Wednesday when it was chosen to receive a $937,500 state grant to provide free Internet service to thousands of low-income residents in the city. Tech Valley Communication will work with the Department of Public Safety, the Salvation Army and other not-for-profit organizations to extend Albany FreeNet into the city’s neighborhoods and offer a virtual work force training program. “This is a 360-degree approach to bring free broadband into neighborhoods that have the lowest services due to socio-economic barriers,” said Jeff Mirel, Tech Valley director of wireless services. Besides empowering residents, the project will improve the business environment in the city, he said. The goal is to establish a more connected community so everyone has the opportunity to be online, he said. “The focus is very much on delivering Internet to everyone and making it accessible and support city services,” said Mirel. Gov. David A. Paterson announced a total of $5 million in grants will go to nine public/private sector partnerships — including Tech Valley Communication — to help promote research and design innovative solutions to bring affordable broadband Internet access to underserved urban and rural communities around the state. The New York State Council for Universal Broadband, which develops strategies so all New Yorkers have access to affordable high speed Internet service, announced the grants this week. “Too many communities in New York state still lack sufficient broadband access,” Paterson said in a written statement. “Improved broadband technologies can spur economic development, increase learning opportunities and connect more New Yorkers to the wide array of resources available on online, including government services.” Originally Albany FreeNet was built as a public/private partnership between the city of Albany and Tech Valley Communications in 2006. It was initially developed with a grant from the state Department of Economic Development and two-to-one matching funds. It provides free public access to highspeed Internet service via hot spots distributed throughout downtown and surrounding neighborhoods. Mirel said Tech Valley realized this concept could be expanded. “We look at digital inclusion as a three legged stool, “ he said. Those three parts include the city and Mayor Jerry Jennings, who has been a proponent of building a network that will provide a means to get Internet to people. The second part is connecting people to government services and the third is providing training and hardware. Mirel estimates that Internet service will be brought into thousands of homes in the inner city including the South End and Arbor Hill. It’s estimated that broadband penetration is lower than 50 percent in some of these areas. As part of the work force training program, Tech Valley is partnering with the city’s Department of Youth and Workforce Services to coordinate a citywide network of computer training centers which would be based in private and public facilities, including the Albany public libraries, Salvation Army, Albany Center for Economic Success and Arbor Hill Community Center, where courses would be offered. The matching commitment from Tech Valley and its partners is $5 million, which includes in-kind donation of services. Without a connection to the Internet, individuals can’t easily apply for a job, look for a job, or research a job, said Mirel. “To be competitive you have to have an understanding of broadband technology,” he said. In the public library, there’s a one- to two-hour wait just to get on the Internet. “This will take the Internet and put it into homes and provide hardware and virtual training,” said Mirel. Mirel said Tech Valley and its partners will work in zones to provide coverage. He did not have a specific number of homes that will eventually be connected, but said it would be “in the thousands” and will start within the year. “We are very pleased with the program we submitted, and that we were chosen. We are confident this will have a huge impact in the city,” Mirel said.
Who pays for the internet service after the grant money and donations dry up?? It will just be another entitlement on the long list of New York entitlements. WIC, HEAP, FOODSTAMPS, MEDICAID, SECTION 8. So of course Tech Valley and it's partners are willing match the 5 million up front, because they know once the program is enacted they are guaranteed state and local tax dollars to keep the program running for decades to come.
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“Too many communities in New York state still lack sufficient broadband access,” Paterson said in a written statement. “Improved broadband technologies can spur economic development, increase learning opportunities and connect more New Yorkers to the wide array of resources available on online, including government services.”
I can't believe for a second that broadband access is going to be the magic bullet that pulls the low income residents up into the middle class. I don't think Patterson believes that either. What it does guarantee are votes for the democrats from those who depend on entitlements programs.
THERE'S NO SUCH THING AS A FREE LUNCH, SOMEBODY'S PAYING FOR IT!
About the only thing this will accomplish is getting more lower income people into rental stores to get into debt renting computers to get on the net. Then they ruin their, or their childs credit (or some other unknown persons) - and do it all over again in 6 months.
I should not have to pay for internet service for anyone but myself. I am sick to death of working to pay my own bills plus the bills of those who don't. Sick of it.
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Without a connection to the Internet, individuals can’t easily apply for a job, look for a job, or research a job, said Mirel.
Who thinks obtaining a job has to be easy? How about these people go into the workplace, fill out applications or submit resume's and go on interviews? Is there anything wrong with that? If they do that the luxuries like internet service will follow.
I think {and I'm sure no one cares what I think, but I will say it anyway} WIFI should be free,,,,hence, if you want to use it go buy a cheap laptop at walmart or pretty much anywhere and use it.... .....I work with someone who is a single parent and has 2kids under 5....they are on section 8{not a biggie, she says temporary}, babies daddy is-somewhere,,,,anyhow, she gets a nice fat refund{supplemental income if you ask me} and proceeds to purchase new bedroom sets and living room sets for her new apartment....she is very picky about the wallpaper/paneling stuff......I keep telling her to go back to school to get the monkey off her back and she would not have to rely on other people to make decisions for her.....she wants to go back to school .....
meanwhile, as a homeowner in NYS with children and full time jobs-----we owe the government every year................................
..............................DONT TREAD ON ME............................................................................
...you are a product of your environment, your environment is a product of your priorities, your priorities are a product of you......
The replacement of morality and conscience with law produces a deadly paradox.
STOP BEING GOOD DEMOCRATS---STOP BEING GOOD REPUBLICANS--START BEING GOOD AMERICANS
Quoted from JoAnn: Does Duanesburg have high speed internet?
Not in my corner of the town. We did get telephone service a few years back.
(This message was transmitted from Duanesburg on January 7, 2006.)
Seriously, though, there is a large portion of the Town of Duanesburg that does not have available to the residents either cable internet service or Verizon DSL.
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Gov. David A. Paterson announced a total of $5 million in grants will go to nine public/private sector partnerships — including Tech Valley Communication — to help promote research and design innovative solutions to bring affordable broadband Internet access to underserved urban and rural communities around the state.
So, will Duanesburg, an "underserved rural community" receive grant money to fund the installation of broadband communications? Or, must all of the residents be on public assistance to qualify?
Despite having to pay approx. $300 for the satellite hardware and approx. $80 per month for service, I don't expect government to provide internet access as an entitlement. Will cable TV be the next "entitlement" that the government provides to those on public assistance?
Brad, you are too funny. But he is right, many areas in town only have dial up. I only live down the road about 2 miles from Brad and I just got Time Warner last year. It has been available on my road for quite a few years but guess what? I didn't want to pay the price. It is very expensive and something I could do without. I consider it a luxury. Now that I have it? If I had to choose between making a mortgage payment and paying for roadrunner........roadrunner would win hands down. I do not feel I should have to pay for someone elses luxuries.
So, will Duanesburg, an "underserved rural community" receive grant money to fund the installation of broadband communications? Or, must all of the residents be on public assistance to qualify?
This was my point. Parts of Duanesburg does not have internet capabilities but yet will actually, through your tax dollar, be paying for "others" to have the service. I just kind of chuckled when I read it and thought of you guys/girls in Duanesburg.
Here's the thing....ya'll moved there for a reason....one of them may be the quiet from the hustle and bustle of the urban areas......how about homing pigeons.....
...you are a product of your environment, your environment is a product of your priorities, your priorities are a product of you......
The replacement of morality and conscience with law produces a deadly paradox.
STOP BEING GOOD DEMOCRATS---STOP BEING GOOD REPUBLICANS--START BEING GOOD AMERICANS
Low income people can go to the library and use computers there. We should not have to be providing everything for them.
One day in the past, TV was invented. Some people were fortunate to own a TV, others were not. There was never any such talk back then that "poor children" wouldn't have access to watching the news and learning about the world around them.
We intelligent people, who work for a living, have to sacrifice our NEEDS and NECESSITIES to give the low income their WANTS, their non-essential desires. And do you think for a minute that they will be studiously using the computer to try to improve themselves to become self sufficient? Kids will probably try to get to x rated sites. Actually, kids will be more unsupervised, as their parents spend all their waking hours on line.
Optimists close their eyes and pretend problems are non existent. Better to have open eyes, see the truths, acknowledge the negatives, and speak up for the people rather than the politicos and their rich cronies.
There are plenty of computers available in the public buildings, libraries etc. One Stop (the job training program) used to have a full bank of computers for those searching for a job. Don't make me pay for my connection to give to someone else, unless I want to.
“Tax and spend” liberal is a misnomer. It should be spend and tax liberal because excessive government spending is the prime cause of taxation. The cause should be listed before the effect.
Unfortunately, in New York State, and elsewhere, many so called conservatives have become spend and tax conservatives, which, of course, makes them spend and tax liberals.
Even true conservatives are so focused on cutting taxes, they forget that we must cut spending first.
I have already written about the 100+ million dollars that Montgomery County and New York State are planning to give Beech-nut, a Swiss owned company. Alan Briggs has written about what that giveaway of our tax dollars is going to cost the Village of Canajoharie.
Speaking of spend and tax liberals, my honeymoon with David Paterson is over. On day 3 of his administration, Governor Paterson gave almost a million dollars of our money to provide high speed internet free to low income residents of Albany.
While I believe in providing a safety net for poor people, I do not see where taxpayers are responsible for providing them with free high speed internet.
I can’t even get high speed internet where I live, so I get dial up for $99 a year.
Most poor people can afford that. Many poor people I know don’t forgo their cigarettes, beer, lottery tickets, cds, dvds and cable tv to pay their bills. I used to rent an apartment to a guy who would never give up any of the above, but he didn’t mind getting three months behind in his rent.
If New York State was flush with money, I wouldn’t mind this giveaway so much, but when our budget needs balancing, every dollar counts.
Besides while the poor are getting free high speed internet service, the one million dollar grant is going to Tech Valley Communications. More corporate welfare, funded by the taxpayer.
I have a feeling that this giveaway is simply a down payment. By the time Paterson is done, he will have taken a mortgage out on New York State.
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