Portable Wireless Hotspots Available
- December 6th 2024
- City News
A portable hotspot distribution plan aims to save disadvantaged families the inconvenience of driving to a public wifi
Photo: Mitchell Lierman via Arnolt Center for Investigative Journalism
Press Release
People without access to high-speed internet could get it under a new program being rolled out at Goodall Memorial Library and Sanford Community Adult Education.
The program makes available portable wireless internet hotspots with bundled internet subscriptions, laptops and iPads, according to a press release from Southern Maine Planning and Development Corporation.
Sanford is the second community in York County to benefit from the program, funded by the Maine Connectivity Authority as part of a statewide plan to extend broadband to underserved parts of the state. Some 50 residents in Biddeford have already received devices.
“During the pandemic, it became clear that many Maine people were left behind by not having reliable internet service to attend school or work remotely,” said James Rather, SMPDC’s director of strategic initiatives. “We’ve heard many stories about folks having to park their vehicles at a local McDonalds or town hall parking lot in order to use free wi-fi service because of a lack of reliable home internet service, or an inability to afford an internet subscription.”
Both the Digital Inclusion Plan and the device distribution program are part of a Digital Equity and Inclusion initiative started in 2023 by SMPDC to eliminate the barriers to providing robust internet access and digital literacy training to the entire population. Two additional program locations will be announced in 2025. To read the plan, visit: https://smpdc.org/broadband
