Program Updates

Four California Neighborhoods Named 2008 ‘21st Century Communities’

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, the California Emerging Technology Fund (CETF), AT&T, and One Economy gathered in Los Angeles earlier this month to announce the Bring IT Home California campaign's first four "21st Century Communities": South Los Angeles, Cutler-Orosi, East Oakland, and San Francisco’s Mission District. In collaboration with local organizations, One Economy will build digital inclusion programs that include broadband access, community training programs, self-help and educational online content, and, where needed, programs that help residents purchase low-cost computers. 

A recent study by the Public Policy Institute of California found that, across the state, low-income people are significantly less likely than higher-income people to use a computer, the Internet, or broadband. Bring IT Home California, funded by a $2.5 million investment from CETF, is connecting underserved people with the technology and information they need to make their communities better places to live, work and learn. Over the next three years, the program will build ten 21st Century Communities.

“The 21st Century Communities program being launched by the California Emerging Technology Fund and One Economy Corporation is part of a comprehensive approach to close the digital divide in California that provides low-income families residing in affordable housing with the tools they need to access local resources, education, and training to improve their lives,” said Sunne McPeak, president and chief executive officer of the California Emerging Technology Fund.

Bring IT Home California's efforts include a "smart housing" strategy that creates technology ecosystems within affordable housing developments, giving families the tools they need to access local resources, education, and training. At the event, One Economy and the National Equity Fund also announced an additional $75 million investment in green, affordable housing for California that will include digital inclusion programs for residents.

"Bring IT Home California will provide thousands of families with the information and resources they need to improve their lives. Across California, these partnerships are transforming communities into better places to live, work, and learn," said Rey Ramsey, chief executive officer of One Economy.

Ike Help Center & Mobile Internet Access RV Help Texans Get on the Road to Recovery

As families around the Gulf Coast struggle with the aftermath of Hurricane Ike, One Economy has partnered with AT&T to create a one-stop source for the online tools and information people need to find temporary relief and long-term assistance as they recover. To make these tools more accessible to families who may be without power and other utilities, One Economy has created a travelling resource site that will offer free Internet and computer access to affected communities.

The Ike Help Center's online content, available in English and Spanish, is designed to centralize and streamline the recovery process, particularly for families with few resources. IkeHelpCenter.org provides information on health and safety, housing, money and jobs, and the locations of area <!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]-->resources as they reopen.

Our mobile Internet access site—equipped with free Internet access, computers and cell phone charging stations—is visiting communities around the area affected by Hurricane Ike. If you would like to be notified about when the Ike Help Center will be in your community, subscribe to our text alert system by texting IKEHELP to #29222 or visit www.ikehelpcenter.org to view the travel schedule.

Dozens of people have stopped by the RV each day as it visits food banks, aid sites, and residential areas. The RV team reports that people are coming to the site with a variety of needs. Some visitors have been in acute distress and unable to stay in their homes. Staff helped many of these people fill in FEMA aid applications. Others have had more general concerns, including filling out job applications.

One Economy has a successful history of helping low-income people use technology to connect with information, both in their daily lives and in times of need. Following the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, One Economy launched the Katrina Help Center as part of the New Orleans Beehive, a website that helped Gulf Coast residents get through both the immediate and longer-term crisis. The Southern California Wildfire Help Center also used technology to respond directly to a large scale disaster.

CEO Rey Ramsey Testifies Before Congressional Panel on Universal Broadband Access

On June 24, One Economy Chief Executive Officer Rey Ramsey gave testimony on the importance of universal service at a hearing by the House Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet.
The subcommittee met to evaluate accountability and spending limits in the allocation of Universal Services Fund (USF) resources, as well as the question of providing universal broadband across the nation.

“Efforts that are less about a specific technology and more about education and creating a culture of use are needed to ensure that the benefits of the Digital Age are reaching the communities that need them most,” said Ramsey, who stressed the importance of both access and content.

“Government can play a role in stimulating demand,” Ramsey added. “A policy that brings the traditional conception of universal service into the digital age, while addressing the broad spectrum of reasons why people are not online, will improve the lives of millions of Americans.”

Witness George Lucas, founder and chairman of The George Lucas Educational Foundation agreed: “We must recognize the even greater possibilities made possible by broadband and wireless and expand the program to keep pace with technology.”

Ramsey’s complete written testimony is available for download in our press room.

One Economy and NetEquality Join

Since its inception, One Economy has brought internet access to thousands of low-income families in America and Globally. Now, through a new partnership with NetEquality, a Portland-based nonprofit organization dedicated to providing free Internet access to low-income communities, One Economy hopes to connect many more hundreds of thousands of low-income families with broadband.

One Economy recently acquired NetEquality, an organization that has worked for three years to develop a strong remote web-based network monitoring capability; detailed user-friendly documentation on how to design, install, and monitor wireless mesh networks; and an online store that distributes wireless mesh hardware to others throughout the world looking for low-cost internet access solutions. Working with One Economy, NetEquality is poised to leverage their skills, knowledge, products, and services to reach a larger audience and magnify their impact.

“The Internet—broadband in particular—is the most dynamic tool of the 21st century. It ought to be a national imperative to make sure everyone has access. For low-income people, the Internet holds the key to better jobs, health care and education,” said One Economy Chief Executive Officer Rey Ramsey. “Our combined effort with NetEquality will bring vital information into low-income households around the country and the world.”

This acquisition is part of a larger campaign, launching in April, to bring broadband into the homes of 500,000 low-income Americans during the next two years. To help reach that goal, One Economy will partner with 75 municipalities to connect communities to the benefits of technology.