How 1Gbps fiber came to Cleveland's poorest, free of charge

[Are_grits_groceries]

In the middle of one of America's poorer cities, residents are about to get an unexpected gift: one gigabit per second Internet access over fiber optic cables courtesy of Cleveland's Case Western Reserve University.

According to the school's vice president for Information Technology Services, Lev Gonick, 72 percent of the homes around campus have no Internet access of any kind; 60 percent are on food stamps. "On a national scale, neighbors of the University have as much Internet access as Panamanians or Vietnamese," he wrote last year in a blog entry announcing the school's new project.

That's slowly changing as the university embarks on an ambitious research project to roll out 1Gbps Internet access to the immediate neighborhood, possibly extending this testbed network to 25,000 total Cleveland residents in total.

While most of the US has to live without any fiber at all, residents near University Circle are getting two strands apiece.
How much will it cost the residents? Nothing. The project is a research-driven attempt to find out if broadband can deliver more than e-mail and Web browsing. Can it provide what the community truly needs—public safety, more educational opportunities, and better medicine?Case Western Reserve doesn't yet know, but within a year, it plans to find out.
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The rest of the article discusses how it can have a practical impact in the community concerning safety and other issues: http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2010/03/how-1gbps-fiber-came-to-clevelands-poorest-free-of-charge.ars

This has possiblities.

[liberal N proud]

1. How many of them can even afford a computer?

Maybe they could get one second hand but it wouldn't be fast enough to use the speed.

Oh the irony

[Are_grits_groceries]

3. I knew somebody would dump on this.

It is a work in progress. I would bet that it will be of great benefit in a lot of ways. Why install slower connections??

The University is not installing it and walking away. They have a vested interest in seeing how it will work and making it useful. It will not magically change things instantly.

Sneer away. Oh the irony of liberals dumping on people who have an idea that might help in the long run.

[liberal N proud]

5. Not trying to dump on it

Just pointing out the sad truth.

Sorry.

If I were in line for a new PC, I would donate mine to someone. I live in the Cleveland area and would love to see some of these people get ahead.

They don't get many breaks.

[Regret My New Name]

6. I'm guessing since it's a research project to discover more uses for broadband

They will be providing the users with devices and services to advantage of the installation. It wouldn't make much sense otherwise.

[Are_grits_groceries]

7. 72% have NO internet access.

The University decided to install a fast connection. As I said, why install a slower one? I am sure thay are aware of the 72% fact and will address the problem of getting devices that the residents can use.

They took the first needed step-installing access. Then the devices to access it will come.

[Sherman A1]

4. It's a start.

Having the infrastructure in place is a huge step forward.

[Statistical]

8. Its called removing a bottleneck.

If their computer is too slow they will still get internet access as fast as their hardware will allow them.
A slower connection would create an artificial bottleneck regardless of hardware.

[Delphinus]

2. Interesting. n/t

[FarCenter]

9. AT&T once did a study that showed more Touch Tone and color phones were bought in poorer areas

This was back when the standard telepone was black and had a dial.

Counterintuitively, they found that they were selling more "features" (Touch Tone dials and colored plastic shells) in the poorer areas.

So you might be surprised at the prevalence of computers and network-capable video games in a poor neighborhood.