$7.5 Million Can Buy the City a Lot of Computers

As mentioned yesterday, Los Angeles was awarded $7.5 million in stimulus money to increase broadband access in the city. Now here are more details: via L.A. City Council President Eric Garcetti's blog: "The funds will allow us to install more than 2,600 public computer workstations, provide broadband connection at 72 computer center sites, expand WiFi networks at places such as parks and community centers, deploy portable wireless training stations, and upgrade networks used to connect thousands of computers to the Internet."

Exemplifying the need for expanding the city's need for this upgrade, Garcetti noted that when he passed by Central Library on a recent Sunday, he saw a line of people waiting to use the computers. We've witnessed this, too. "This grant funding will allow us to significantly expand computer and Internet access, and hopefully that will help many job seekers find work."

Specifically, the money was awarded to the Los Angeles’ Computer Access Network (L.A.-CAN), which says the money will help double the number of workstations available throughout the city at public computer centers in libraries, workforce centers, and youth and family centers in low-income and non-English speaking communities, according to a U.S. Department of Commerce news release.