Championing affordable Internet access

[Commentary] St. Paul nonprofit, PCs for People, has given away nearly 25,000 refurbished computers to grateful low-income Minnesotans over the past 18 months. Impressive, yes. But in the minds of Andy Elofson and Casey Sorensen, only halfway to their goal.

In some neighborhoods, mostly in the Twin Cities’ urban core, as many as one-third of the residents still cannot afford Internet access, free computer or not. Without that connection, it’s tough to check in with a child’s teacher regarding homework and progress, or figure out which bus to take to a job interview, or communicate with loved ones a state, or a continent, away. But Elofson, the founder, and Sorensen, the executive director, are champs at finding a need and filling it. Through word-of-mouth a year ago, Sorensen connected with Denver-based Mobile Citizen, a high-speed mobile Internet provider with an altruistic founder. As this new year begins, 7,000 Minnesotans are enjoying unlimited Internet access for $10 a month. The big goal for 2014 is to give away 2,400 computers throughout the Upper Midwest. Then? “Chicago’s next,” Sorensen said.