Rosedale Wi-Fi co-op to share Google Internet hook-ups

Two local groups are teaming to create a kind of Wi-Fi cooperative that would tap into Google’s promises of mega-bandwidth Internet connections — splicing them into faster hookups for paying customers and free and fast-enough wireless connections for low-income families.

The Rosedale Development Association and Connecting for Good, a Kansas City nonprofit that seeks to shrink the digital divide by expanding Internet access, are spearheading the effort to bring free or discounted Web access to the neighborhood. Connecting for Good exists partly because of Kansas City’s selection as the starting point for the ultrafast Internet service dubbed Google Fiber. The announcement catalyzed the budding idea for the nonprofit, said co-founder Michael Liimatta. The organization hopes to take the fiber-optic connections at the heart of Google’s service — able to move mighty rivers of data compared to the streams available for homes today — and split them into affordable, widely available conduits to the Internet. It’s also looking to construct a cost-sharing “e-community center” to serve as a hub for using and learning about technology.