Clearwire's $9.95 a month access to 4G wireless Internet connection for low-income residents is first-come, first-served
Published: Tuesday, August 03, 2010, 7:42 PM Updated: Tuesday, August 03, 2010, 8:13 PM
Adam Bird | The Grand Rapids PressJake Garechana, of Clearwire, left, announces the activation of the company's 4G wireless network in Grand Rapids as Jake Garechana of Clearwire Group, left, and Greg Sundstrom, City Manager, right, announced the activation of their 4g wireless network Tuesday in Grand Rapids as Grand Rapids City Manager Greg Sundstrom looks on.
GRAND RAPIDS -- Officials are touting a discount plan for the new wireless network blanketing the city as a major step toward bridging the "digital divide" between those who can and can't afford high speed Internet service.
Sprint and Clearwire are offering a variety of packages for their WiMax 4G wireless service that went live Monday, starting at $30 a month for home users and $55 a month for mobile connections.
But low-income residents will be eligible this fall for a $9.95 per month plan, it was announced Tuesday.
The first-come, first-served deal is good for up to 5 percent of the approximately 214,000 people in the coverage area, which stretches roughly from Seven Mile Road south to M-6 and 28th Street east to I-96.
A detailed coverage map is available at clear.com/coverage.
The nonprofit Grand Rapids Community Media Center will process applications for the low-income plan beginning in October.
The center also will start holding web education workshops in historically lower income neighborhoods in November.
"We want to close the digital divide, and I think with our partnership between Clear and the Community Media Center, we should be able to do that," said City Manager Greg Sundstrom at a city hall press conference.
The city is not subsidizing Clearwire for the low-income plan, said Sally Wesorick, the city's wireless project manager.
Exact eligibility requirements have yet to be determined, but Community Media Center Executive Director Laurie Cirivello said they will follow criteria similar to rules for reduced recreation and parks fees.
Clearwire officials also announced they will donate 20 netbook computers equipped with wireless service to the center. Cirivello said some computers will be utilized by citizen journalists writing for The Rapidian, a community online newspaper developed by the center last year.
She said the digital divide isn't just about the "haves and have nots," but is detrimental to the spread of information critical to a functioning democracy.
"Income shouldn't be a litmus test for having the ability to engage in the community," Cirivello said after the press conference.
Grand Rapids Mayor George Heartwell has emphasized closing the digital gap since the city wireless project's early stages in 2004. He celebrated the network launch Tuesday, nearly four years after a contract was signed.
"High speed wireless broadband is not science fiction, and we don't have to imagine it anymore," Heartwell said at the press conference.
The 4G connection delivers at speeds comparable to home DSL Internet service and roughly four times faster than other wireless connections.
A number of free Wi-Fi "hot spots" with Clearwire's WiMax service are in the works around the city. The exact locations have yet to be determined, but Wesorick said they could range from parks to convention centers, and maybe even buses.
Free access in the hot spots"would be limited to a large number of select websites, mainly nonprofits, medical providers and schools, she said.
The city's contract also gives Clearwire access to city water towers and other antenna locations in exchange for wireless access for police, firefighters and other public employees like building inspectors.
"This technology we're bringing to the city is going to help really change the way people live, work and play," said Jake Garechana, general manager of Clear Grand Rapids.
E-mail Jeff Engel: jengel@grpress.com
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