Municipal wireless projects will mean that you can create social change in new, bold ways. Soon, your organization, your clients, and your stakeholders may have access to free and low cost wireless Internet access through a municipal wireless system or at least have access to a wireless system that covers your whole city. Imagine if:

• You could collect survey data on a handheld computer in the field and transmit that information back to the office in real time
• You could use a WiFi enabled laptop to enroll low income residents in government programs.
• Community members could report health and safety issues in neighborhood parks as soon as they are encountered?
• Your City’s agreement required the local WiFi provider donate a portion of their profits to a community foundation for digital inclusion programs.

What will you do with when the municipal wireless project goes live? Come find out! This session will inspire you to dream big, encourage you to identify real programs and projects you can implement, and connect you with the resources and skills you’ll need to make it happen.

Takeaways:

1. Understanding of how most municipal wireless projects are structured
2. Demonstration of the tools and programs municipal wireless will enable
3. Case studies from the sector

Speaker List:

1. Ms. Johanna Bates / Community Partners, Inc.
2. Mr. Jamey Frank / STOP AIDS Project
3. Mr. Sheldon Mains / Sheldon Mains Consulting
4. Deborah Strauss / Lumity (formerly the IT Resource Center)

Session Materials:

1. Session slides
2. WiFi Palm Surveying
3. Memorandum of Understanding between The Minneapolis Foundation, City Of Minneapolis, and US Internet Wireless
4. Digital Inclusion Task Force Meeting