Many residents of one San Francisco Bay area city are online for the first time thanks to a grant-funded program to expand free high-speed Internet to low-income areas.
The Contra Costa Times reports about 400 houses are getting a wireless Internet signal from a new 40-foot tower in Richmond's Iron Triangle neighborhood.
The free service is made possible by Building Blocks for Kids, a collaborative of government agencies, nonprofit groups and local leaders. The program is funded by a grant from the California Emerging Technology Fund aimed at increasing digital literacy among poor people.
Resident Yolanda Lopez tells the newspaper her neighbors are thankful because many can't afford the $50 per month for an Internet service subscription.
On Tuesday, the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors expressed interest in expanding the free Internet countywide.
