ConnectKentucky’s Computer 4 Kids helps provide computers for community lab

The Oasis Life Center in the Parkland neighborhood of Louisville, Kentucky is providing community residents with access to a computer lab outfitted with 10 computers and printers, thanks in part to a donation through ConnectKentucky’s Computers 4 Kids program.

The work stations will help local residents to achieve success in this technologically advancing world, said Heather Gate, the program manager for ConnectKentucky’s Computers 4 Kids.

“If you go to Wal-Mart to apply for a job opening, they're going to point you to a computer to apply,” Gate told the Louisville Courier-Journal in an August 26 article. “It's essential to have basic skills. And (the program awards are) also so that kids can have meaningful homework assistance after school and be given an equal education.”

To read the full article, click here.

Every Citizen Online (SM) partnership notes success of Connected Tennessee’s similar effort, Computers 4 Kids

Connected Nation has recently partnered with technology companies including Intel and Lenovo to form Every Citizen Online (SM), a public-private partnership designed to enable PC ownership and broadband use in low-income and other unconnected households.

The partnership has applied for Sustainable Broadband Adoption funds available through the NTIA’s Broadband Technology Opportunities Program. To read what Intel’s policy blog is saying about the program, click here.

The Every Citizen Online (SM) program can look to a recent milestone of Connected Tennessee’s Computers 4 Kids program as an example of the impact these types of such public-private partnership can have in communities.

Last week, Connected Tennessee’s Computers 4 Kids (C4K) donated of its 2,000th computer in a donation event at the State Capitol’s Old Supreme Court Chambers, making a distribution of computers to more than a hundred area youth.

To view a video of the event, click here.

The event featured remarks from various state leaders and awarded brand new Dell computers to 120 foster children throughout Davidson County and the Mid-Cumberland region.

The recipients hail from 13 different counties across the Mid-State (including Davidson, Stewart, Montgomery, Houston, Humphreys, Dickson, Cheatham, Robertson, Williamson, Sumner, Trousdale, Wilson and Rutherford) and have all recently graduated high school or earned their GED.

Connected Nation and ESRIs partnership to benefit state-based broadband initiatives

On Monday, ESRI issued a news release about its BroadbandStat, the company’s new Web application that provides tools for mapping broadband coverage and planning broadband initiatives. The BroadbandStat solution features a dashboard-style display that provides an interactive map and options that make it easy to combine data in different ways for viewing and analyzing.

The BroadbandStat solution is currently under development for use in Connected Nation’s state-based broadband initiatives.

To learn more about BroadbandStat, visit www.esri.com/bbstat. To view the interactive mapping tool already in use by Connected Nation, visit:

• http://www.connectedtennessee.org/


• http://www.connectohio.org/


• http://www.connectmn.org/


• http://www.connectnorthcarolina.org/


• http://www.connectkansas.org/


• http://www.connectkentucky.org/


• http://www.connectednation.org/.

Connected Nation and Tech Leaders Apply for Funding to Put Computers in U.S. Households

The top reasons non-Internet users cite for not having broadband at home are lack of relevance, price, and lack of a computer (2009 Pew Internet & American Life Project).

According to Pew research, 21% of those who cite price as a barrier to broadband adoption are African Americans, 27% are age 65 and older, and 27% live in rural areas.

Today, Connected Nation joined and a host of technology companies (Intel Corporation, Fujitsu, Velocity Micro, Inc., and ZT Systems) to apply for broadband stimulus funding for Every Citizen Online(SM).

Every Citizen Online(SM) is a public-private partnership program designed to enable computer ownership and broadband use in low-income and unconnected homes. The program will help vulnerable populations overcome top barriers to adoption: broadband awareness and training, computer ownership, and subscription affordability. Joining together technology companies and local entities, the program will provide digital literacy and help unconnected consumers purchase a new broadband-enabled computer using an instant rebate, bundled with a year of discounted broadband service.

The program will leverage federal stimulus dollars to enable low income and other unconnected consumers to purchase his/her a choice of a broad range of personal computers at a deeply reduced price, receive discounted monthly broadband service and local community support.

The initial phase of the program will target 150,000 computers introduced to households.

For more information about Every Citizen Online(SM), visit www.connectednation.org.

Iowa Taps Connected Nation to Map Broadband Availability

Des Moines, Iowa –The Iowa Utilities Board recently named Connected Nation, a national nonprofit, as the designated entity to create a statewide broadband inventory map. The map is expected to serve as a key asset for the state as it seeks to maximize Iowa’s share of the federal broadband stimulus funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). Link to the Press Release .

West Tennessee children receive computers

August 6, 2009

NWTN Today

Dresden’s Southside Church of Christ was the host site for children and their guardians on Friday as state organization Connected Tennessee presented 59 foster children throughout West Tennessee with brand new Dell laptop computers through the Computers 4 Kids program.

Connected Tennessee’s Computers 4 Kids (C4K) initiative places computers into the hands of underprivileged children and their families across Tennessee. C4K is an innovative project designed to positively impact the future of disadvantaged children in Tennessee by distributing computers to children and families facing economic challenges, in the foster care system or that struggle with behavioral disorders and other issues.

To view the article, click here.

Cable Technology - Report: 250k New Broadband Connections Comcast in Q209

Despite down economy and historical trends for broadband subscriptions in the second quarter of the year, Comcast added 250,000 new broadband connections in the second quarter of 2009. The company's link to Connected Nation is cited as helpful.

To read the article, click here.

Connected Nation's Works Gains Recognition On CWA Blog

On the Communications Workers of America’s Speed Matters blog, Connected Nation and its work has received recognition over the last week.

Here’s a round-up:

Ohio Senator opens doors for broadband
U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) recently hosted a seminar with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Connect Ohio, and broadband providers to discuss the benefits of broadband expansion. Sen. Brown and Sen. Tom Harkin, (D-IA) led early debates about and fought to secure funding for broadband access. And now that the $7.2 billion is earmarked, states and service providers are working to coordinate efforts to secure funds. Read the Whole Story

Connected Nation moves forward in Minnesota, Nevada, Texas, Ohio
Connected Nation continues to expand its broadband initiatives in multiple states, as part of its mission to stimulate deployment and adoption of high-speed Internet to all Americans. They launched interactive broadband mapping tools in Minnesota, were designated the mapping entity in Nevada and Texas, and are making the case for broadband in Ohio. Read the Whole Story

Arkansas libraries addressing connectivity issues
At a recent Arkansas Opportunity Online Broadband Summit in Little Rock, representatives of libraries from across the state met to develop a sustainable plan to "assure that adequate Internet bandwidth is available to all public libraries in Arkansas in the future." Twenty-seven library systems in Arkansas have one or more libraries with Internet connection speeds that don't meet the demand of patrons. Read the Whole Story