Free laptops narrowing the digital gap

An effort is underway to bridge the digital divide in the Northwoods, laptop by laptop.

Last Friday, Jan. 30, the Rhinelander District Library welcomed 50 pre-registered Oneida County residents to a distribution event giving away free laptops. As RDL IT coordinator Ashley Greenhaw checked in the recipients, John Potters, a contracted project manager for Human-I-T, passed out each boxed, refurbished machine.

It was the latest distribution in a project to get 2,500 laptops and broadband access to those who need them in the counties of Oneida, Vilas, Forest and Florence. The project, administered by Los Angeles-based non-profit organization Human-I-T in partnership with UW-Extension, was granted $1.7 million in funding through the Wisconsin Public Service Commission’s Digital Connectivity and Navigators program.

Potters, who is also a Forest County supervisor, said the laptops, donated from various sources and refurbished by Human-I-T, are being provided to several organizations to distribute to people in their communities. 

He noted there are “minimal” eligibility requirements to receive one. “They’re looking at (an income limit of) 200 percent above poverty, but also if you have low internet access, no internet access, something that would pretty much have people in need,” he said. 

“We’re hoping that this will help connectivity throughout the entire northern Wisconsin area. Rural areas are prevalent for not having the best internet connection, and the demographics show that some of the rural areas have lower incomes too, so they can’t necessarily afford everything. 

“I mean, these laptops, if you were to buy them brand new, would run $600, $700. Refurbished, they’re about $350, so they’re getting a nice laptop.”

Potters said each laptop comes with a one-year warranty and seven years of free support. “There’s also an online training on how to use a laptop and how to find things that you need,” he added. “We’re always welcome to help people do what they need to do in order to get online.”

This was the second laptop distribution event at the RDL, after an initial giveaway day on Dec. 5 — and Greenhaw said it won’t be the last. 

“They (pre-registrations) have been filling up within two to three hours of us posting,” she said. “We’re going to have three more (distributions). We’re trying to do it every month.”

In the meantime, today — Friday, Feb. 6 — the Walter E. Olson Memorial Library in Eagle River will have a giveaway event of Human-I-T-refurbished laptops from 2 to 5 p.m. at the Kalmar Community Center, 1013 N. Railroad Street.

Availability is limited to individuals who meet one or more of these criteria: live in Vilas, Oneida, Forest, or Florence counties; lack access to reliable, affordable broadband; are unable to access broadband due to cost, quality, or provider policies; have a household income at or below 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines; are struggling to afford basic needs; and have an increased broadband need due to COVID-19. 

Potters observed that some may assume most people can get online at home, “but we shouldn’t assume that,” he said. 

“There’s a lot of people that come to the libraries … to use those (library computers) to do their online banking or whatever it might be, check their emails, because they don’t have the capability at home.”

Ardith Carlton may be reached at [email protected].