One thing I found extremely interesting is that Philadelphia has finished testing its wireless Internet project, setting the stage for America's biggest citywide Wi-Fi network that will also offer access to low-income households. The city government this week approved results from a 15-square-mile test zone where people can access the Internet for $21.95 a month or $9.95 if they qualify for low-income assistance, I really like that idea, its about time poor were included and able to tke advantage of new technology our country has to offer.

As a proud lberal I am so disgusted that poor, disabled, the elderly or any combination thereof being left out and the only segment of society benefitting are the elitists, and usually if any benefit is given its usually to third world nations, which is all well and good, but lets not forget that charity begins at home, we need to take care of our own, and thanks to Bush and his evil nazi troll republicans in congress we have been doing a a lousy job of taking care of our most vulnerable disenfranchised and too be bluntly honest its soley based on republican bigoty and hatred for the poor. I am sick nd tired of their mentality that being poor is somehow a sin, and if a person is poor its somehow their own fault as the Reggie's of the world would have you believe, suffice to say that I vehemently disagree with that ideology.

Access is free in parks and other outdoor spaces, and for people participating in community programs such as employment training or housing assistance.

By the end of this year, Philadelphia will have wireless Internet access throughout its 135 square miles in a project being watched by many cities throughout the world, said Greg Goldman, chief executive of Wireless Philadelphia, a nonprofit organization set up by the city to implement the plan.
Although other cities have wireless "hotspots," no other U.S. city as large as Philadelphia has total Wi-Fi coverage.

I see this is a major step toward achieving vision of the entire city connected, and hopefully other ities will follw this model, one can only hope. "Low-income families can begin using the powers of the Internet to improve their educational, employment and life opportunities and improve their standards in life.

Wireless Philadelphia aims to provide Internet access for the more than 300,000 households"”about half of the city"”that cannot currently get on the Web, and so are unable to perform basic economic activities such as applying for jobs whose employers only accept online applications.

Philadelphia, with a quarter of its 1.5 million people officially below the federal poverty line, is one of the poorest of ratio wealthy to poor among the larger of U.S. cities.

One other thing I wanted to mention, for 2,000 of the neediest customers, Wireless Philadelphia plans to provide free refurbished laptops, a one-year Wi-Fi account, and educational and technical support in a program that will cost $3 million once funds are raised.

I want to credit and commend Earthlink, which funded, built, and manages it , Earthlink is an Atlanta-based Internet provider, which plans to invest $13.5 million to complete the project. The company will pay revenue-sharing fees to Wireless Philadelphia to support its "digital inclusion" project for low-income users.

Many thanks to Earthlink, for once our nation's poor are being thought of, no thanks to Bush or his administration this was a brainchild and n initiative of the Clinton / Gore administration for E-V-E-R-Y-O-N-E including the poor to have high speed internet access not just the wealthy as the King George Monarchy would want...No Bush you are not a king and Laura is not Marie Antiontte!
Just Having to type their names makes me ill!