Free Internet initiative is big step for Nashville

On a Wednesday afternoon, 16-year-old Erik Dawson is checking his email account and looking for new music at the Nashville Public Library's North Branch on Monroe Street.

His family lives in Nashville public housing near Clarksville Highway, and he and his 9-year-old sister came to use the library's Internet, no longer available at home after monthly rates became too costly. He had just been to the nearby Kroger to apply for a job and was told to file his application online.

Under President Barack Obama's new ConnectHome broadband initiative, Dawson and his family could be among Nashville residents eligible for free Google Fiber Internet access. The program, led and funded locally by the private and nonprofit sector, is expected to connect more than 5,200 households and will include digital literacy programs.

For Dawson, a rising sophomore at Pearl Cohn Entertainment Magnet School, free Internet means he could work on school projects from home, without his mother driving him to the library a few times each week. He could look for and apply for jobs, regardless of transportation or library hours, and when it's time for him to look into higher education, he can research more easily.

"I could do my homework, browse the Internet anytime," he said. "It would mean a lot."

ConnectHome, announced by the White House on Wednesday, is still in its initial stages and which of Nashville's 20 public housing properties will gain free Google Fiber access has not been determined, according to the Metro Development and Housing Agency. But for residents who do become eligible, the program could have a tremendous impact on their daily lives.

For evidence of how free access could impact Nashville residents, look to Austin, Texas. The Housing Authority of the City of Austin, along with Google Fiber, began offering free Internet to public housing residents last year, and local nonprofit Austin Free-Net led digital literacy classes to help participants discover useful online tools.

Juanita Budd, Austin Free-Net executive director, says the strength of the Austin program lies in a three-pronged approach that includes education, at-home access to the Internet and at-home access to computers. After taking two six-week courses, participants can take home a refurbished, secondhand computer, donated by Austin Community College.

The courses are tailored to the needs of the residents, with instructors asking them what they would like to learn, but also what challenges they face. Instructors can demonstrate online strategies to solving daily issues — how to find a bus schedule online, how to communicate with family members on Facebook or through email, how to maintain a consistent phone number through Google, how to check students' grades or how to create a website for a business.

"We are moving that needle to digital literacy," Budd said. "They see the benefits and relevancy of that work to their personal life."

So far, residents at five public housing properties have registered for Google Fiber's basic Internet product, with more than 90 percent of residents signing up at one property, and more than 100 adult students have begun courses, according to the housing authority. The goal is to connect more than 1,800 residents.

The digital literacy component is an important part of the initiative, one the American Library Association is expected to lead in Nashville. When Google Fiber sought to sign up low-income residents in Kansas City, its initial fiber city, company officials recognized that cost was among several factors interfering with Internet access.

"A computer is only as powerful as the skills someone has to use it," said Andrea Fanta, Nashville Public Library spokeswoman. "We are doing something about the access part, but where we really feel like we can step up is digital literacy, digital skills building."

Brenda Riley, a resident of Cheatham Place housing units in North Nashville, is among residents who could benefit from access and instruction, as well as having a device in her home that her grandchildren could use when they visit. She lacks the Internet now because of the cost, but if she had access, she says, she would like to begin online GED courses.

"I don't have transportation, so it would be a major help for me," she said. "Everything is on computers."

For students, additional Internet access at home is increasingly important as courses at every level rely more on digital materials and instruction. Laura Hansen, director of information management and decision support at Metro Nashville Public Schools, describes the gap between access as a "homework divide" as those without access at home face additional challenges on assignments.

In addition to classroom tools, online access means increased engagement from parents who can check students' grades online, she said.

Momentum to bridge the digital divide in Nashville has been underway for years, with MNPS, the Nashville Public Library, Martha O'Bryan and the Community Foundation recognizing the role Internet plays in our health care, education, job prospects and futures. As we often talk about widening income gaps in political spheres, increased Internet access for low-income families is a crucial part of any solution. This new initiative is a big step in the right direction.

Reach Jamie McGee at 651-259-8071 and on Twitter @JamieMcGee_.