Published: July 23, 2008 10:49 am            

Charlestown offers free high-speed Internet to 50 households

David Huddleson was laid off from his job in December.

But if his family’s home is one of 50 Charlestown households selected to receive free broadband Internet service and a computer, Huddleson can finish his business degree by taking online courses. And with a degree, he can get a higher- paying job than his last. He can not only find that job online, but create a resume online and apply online, as well.

“I’ve got nine courses left to finish my degree in business management,” he said. “This would take us light years ahead of the average person that doesn’t have Internet access.”

And while many city dwellers believe a household without high-speed Internet access is a thing of the past, rural households across the state remain largely disconnected. But a new statewide technology partnership between the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs, AT&T and One Economy Corp. aims to erase the disparity — economic and otherwise — between households without Internet access and those with it, making rural Indiana more competitive not only throughout the state, but across the globe.

“The power of technology can tremendously change and impact the lives of families in rural communities,” said James Gore, director of One Economy, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing Internet access to low-income and rural populations in the U.S. “That is what the power of the Internet is — the ability to do things in the comfort of your own home, to use the Internet to work from home, and to improve your quality of life.”

The new technology program is part of a nine-county initiative through the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs that offers free broadband Internet access and computers to selected households in rural Indiana areas for two years. Fifty households in Charlestown will be selected from a pool of applicants for the high-speed access.

Mayor Bob Hall — who has spearheaded the project in Charlestown —learned about the program and decided to try to bring it to the city. With help from the local schools and senior center, Hall was able to find rural households in need of Internet service, and applicants will be selected from those families identified as in need.

“Internet access is no longer a luxury — it is a necessity,” said Lt. Gov. Becky Skillman. “(The rural affairs office) is always striving to create sustainable and thriving rural communities, and deploying new technology is one of the best ways to be sustainable.

“High-speed Internet is critical in today’s technological environment,” she said. “When I was growing up in Bedford, our competitors were Seymour and Bloomington — now it’s China and Japan.”

Higher-income Americans are much more likely than lower-income Americans to have in-home, high-speed connections, and to integrate the Internet into their daily lives. This means that Americans without technological access and skills find themselves at an economic disadvantage, according to One Economy.

And Charlestown offered itself as a prime city to test the technological waters.

“We always go where community leaders have expressed an interest,” Skillman said. “We want leaders to have a vision from moving their community forward technologically.”

For Hall, using technology in education is a major part of the initiative in Charlestown.

“This is just part of what we’re trying to do to make Charlestown a 21st-century city,” Hall said. “I grew up when the world’s knowledge was in 20 books called the encyclopedia. Today’s kids, if they don’t know something, they say, ‘Dad, I’ll Google it.’”

“We’ve got to get thinking what the new world market is.”

Hall said he hopes to begin a second component of the technology project that would provide every sixth-grade through 12th-grade student a laptop to take home. One Economy started the laptop program in Green County, N.C., five years ago, when 23 percent of graduating seniors went on to college. This year, 94 percent of graduating seniors went on to college, the organization said.

“You build a culture where 12th-grade is not the end — you go on to college,” Hall said.

Charlestown resident Debbie Gregory hopes to be one of the lucky 50 chosen to receive high-speed Internet access in her home. That way, her kids can keep up with the amount of computer work they learn at school, she said.

“I think it’s great for the kids — everything is going computerized,” Gregory said, admitting her desire to get high-speed Internet at home isn’t purely selfless.

“It’s a great opportunity for the children and the parents,” she said. “I can look up their grades online. I can check and see what they’re doing in class before I get a note from the teacher.”

        

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