One Economy Corporation, a global nonprofit, announced
the launch of the Bring IT Home America campaign at an event
demonstrating the broad range of support for a national strategy to
increase digital inclusion. This two-year campaign is a
member-supported effort that marshals the resources of government,
business, and the nonprofit sector around a powerful goal: extending
the promise of innovative technology to expand opportunities to those
who need them most.
Today, only 21 percent of people earning less than $30,000 per year
have broadband and the applications it makes possible in their homes;
three times as many affluent households have high-speed access. One
Economy believes that we need a profound and urgent national commitment
to bring the power of information to all Americans--regardless of
income, race, age, or geography. Bring IT Home America is a national
call to action that responds to that the need for affordable Internet
access, youth-led technology training, and public-purpose media,
opening the doors of the 21st century to millions of Americans.
"One Economy has worked around the world to connect low-income people
to 21st-century resources and information," said One Economy Chief
Executive Officer Rey Ramsey. "Now, we are leading a national effort
that will extend those opportunities to millions more Americans."
Bring IT Home America employs a three-part strategy for connecting
low-income people to tools for building better lives: deploying
broadband and hardware, employing youth to build a cultural bridge
between technology and their communities, and creating informing,
engaging online media. By the end of the campaign, One Economy and
campaign members will have engaged 5,000 youth to provide technology
training in their neighborhoods, brought broadband into the homes of
half a million Americans, and reached millions more with the next
generation of public-purpose media, the Public Internet Channel.
The campaign brings together a broad coalition of often competing
interests to support this initiative. This morning's events included
remarks by key members outlining their commitments to increase digital
inclusion in America:
"If we expect rural communities in West Virginia and other states to
prosper in the global economy, broadband access is as important as
water and sewer infrastructure," said West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin.
"Through efforts such as those with One Economy and its Beehive
project, and by forming dynamic partnerships with leading technology
companies, we can open the door for these communities and their
residents to grow."
"The Internet holds great promise for all Americans," said Jim
Cicconi, Senior Executive Vice President, External and Legislative
Affairs, AT&T. "The Bring IT Home America campaign will help make
that promise a reality by connecting families and communities across
the country with education, health care and workforce opportunities."
"In a city of competing political and business interests, Bring It
Home America is a program we can all support," said Kyle McSlarrow,
president and CEO of the National Cable & Telecommunications
Association. "NCTA's members are committed to reaching unserved and
underserved areas of the country and Bring It Home America can help us
do that."
Robert Townsend--an accomplished actor, director, and producer--also
announced his plans to work with One Economy and the Public Internet
Channel to create compelling, engaging public-purpose online media.
Other members include: Allstate, the California Emerging Technology
Fund, Intel, Symantec, Verizon, Wells Fargo, Atlanta, Buffalo, Fort
Wayne, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, Raleigh, San Francisco, Savannah,
Seattle, the Unified Government of Wyandotte County & Kansas City,
Kan., Kansas City, Mo., Bertie County, N.C. and Greene County, N.C.
One Economy's first Bring IT Home campaign, which culminated in
2006, changed affordable housing finance policies in 42 states to
promote the inclusion of broadband into the homes of low-income people.
As a result of those efforts, more than 300,000 Americans now have
broadband in their homes.
Learn more about Bring IT Home America, its supporters, and One Economy at www.one-economy.com.
One Economy Corporation is a global nonprofit that uses innovative
approaches to deliver the power of technology and information to
low-income people, connecting them to valuable tools for building
better lives and entering the economic mainstream. One Economy helps
bring broadband into the homes of low-income people, employ youth to
train their community members to use technology effectively, and
provide public-purpose media properties that offer a wealth of
information on education, jobs, health care and other vital issues.
Learn more at www.one-economy.com.