Thread: Cricket pursues funds for Internet

Cricket pursues funds for Internet

Federal aid would help poor get online

By Lori Weisberg
Union-Tribune Staff Writer
2:00 a.m. August 18, 2009

Low-income residents in San Diego County who can't afford Internet service may get some financial help if a local wireless provider succeeds in getting more than $8 million in federal stimulus funds to expand broadband access.

San Diego-based Cricket Communications said yesterday that it has applied for federal Recovery Act funding geared to expanding high-speed Internet access not only in more remote rural areas but also to the urban poor.

Cricket is proposing a $10.7 million program to provide subsidized, low-cost Internet service to 23,000 low-income families in San Diego, Baltimore, Houston, Memphis, Tenn., and Washington, D.C.

Under the proposal, the federal government would cover 80 percent of the cost, with Cricket picking up the remainder. Cricket, a wholly owned subsidiary of Leap Wireless International, is working with One Economy, a Washington, D.C., nonprofit, to help it reach out to low-income households.

“Our goals are to provide the benefits of unlimited wireless service to customers who are frequently underserved by other carriers,â€

Next they'll want to give free laptops to homeless people so that they can sit at Starbucks and use the free wi-fi.

Originally Posted by JohnDoe2

Next they'll want to give free laptops to homeless people so that they can sit at Starbucks and use the free wi-fi.

And to illegals so they won't be separated from their families in Mexico (SOB). They can keep in touch by email.

Where would people unable to afford regular internet access get the money to buy a computer?
They can easily go to the libraries and use those internet computers. But I guess that is pretty inconvenient.

Originally Posted by vortex

Where would people unable to afford regular internet access get the money to buy a computer?
They can easily go to the libraries and use those internet computers. But I guess that is pretty inconvenient.

My disabled neighbor got a computer for free. It was few years old, but it was free. Some charity picks up old computers from companies and individuals who are upgrading their computers. They have a training class for unemployed people to teach them how to service and repair computers and then they give the computers to people on disability, SSI, S.S. or other low income programs. It keeps old electronics out of the landfill and helps people with training too. She had a cheap dial up service until I told her how to get DSL from ATT for $10 a month.