SPRINGDALE -- Northwest Arkansas families who live in public housing may receive low-cost broadband Internet service soon, the Hispanic Women of Arkansas group learned Friday at its annual conference.
Internet service is growing increasingly vital for children's education, applying for jobs, searching for private housing and even scheduling medical appointments, Lourdes M. Castro Ramirez said in an interview during the conference. Ramirez is principal deputy assistant secretary for the Office of Public and Indian Housing for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and was the featured speaker at the conference at The Jones Center in Springdale.
Providing Internet service at home would be a vital boost to families trying to leave public housing and be self-sufficient, she said. For example, 90 percent of college applications are now submitted online, according to figures cited by the Housing Department.
Ramirez also was in the area to meet with local housing authorities to discuss expanding the department's "ConnectHome" initiative. It is a partnership between Cox Communications and other Internet service providers along with local public housing authorities to extend low-cost Internet to any HUD-assisted household with school-age children. A trial run began about a year ago in 28 locations, including Little Rock, she said.
The Springdale School District provides tablets to access the Internet to all students, but many students lose access when they leave school grounds, said Jim Rollins, district superintendent.
"This would make that situation much better," he said. "It would clearly add significant value to the investment we've made."
Mayor Greg Hines of Rogers said people must have Internet access to succeed.
"Let's face it. Most of us take this for granted," Hines said. "It's a necessity for job searches and all kinds of things, and this would plug real gaps."
Becoming computer literate is much like learning a second language and requires constant practice, Ramirez said. Large gaps in the times one can practice the skill slows the process immensely, she said.
Cox's Connect2Compete service is $9.95 per month for eligible families, and includes download speeds up to 10 megabytes per second. The service offers free in-home WiFi, free installation and free access to Cox WiFi hotspots.
Also at the lunch ceremony, the League of Women Voters of Washington County received the Hispanic Women's Community of Excellence Award.
NW News on 10/01/2016