Digital Divide Committee

The Digital Divided Committee meets monthly and consists of the following organizations and agencies:

City of Cambridge

• Budget
• City Manager
• City Council
• Electrical
• Finance
• Human services
• IT Department
• Law
• Purchasing
• Recycling

Cambridge Public Schools

• IT Department

Cambridge Housing Authority

MIT

• Information Technology Department

This group's objectives are:

1. To provide residents of, and visitors to, the City of Cambridge with “basic” wireless access to the Internet via inexpensive and pervasive technology throughout the City, such access to be provided at no cost to residents and visitors.  A priority for deployment would be Public Schools, Housing, Libraries, Squares, and Parks. 

2. To supplement, not compete with, the products and services of commercial interests, such as existing Internet Service Providers (ISP’s) and coffee shops and hotels that provide Internet access for a fee. 

3. To provide a “basic” level of wireless service sufficient for World Wide Web access, checking email, and similar activities at speeds higher than those available via dial-up Internet access, but without the expectation of the speed and reliability of a broadband or DSL connection.

4. To leverage existing City infrastructure (such as the fiber network and existing Internet connections) as well as that of other participating private entities (e.g. building access for mounting wireless antennas and repeaters).

5. To work with existing ISP’s doing business in the City to help those residents and visitors who desire higher speed Internet access (e.g. for such purposes as streaming video or transmitting large files like photos or music) to purchase such commercial access at attractive rates.

6. In addition to providing free wireless access, it is the goal of this committee to find sources to subsidize or loan wireless computer equipment to low-income residents.

7. To extend the wireless footprint of MuniMesh infrastructure subscribers and providers (such as the Roofnet project at MIT). This will afford participating University students a similar level of access to what they have on their campus wireless systems, and Municipal employees to access their departmental services.