Google’s Free Gigabit Internet for Public Housing Is No Replacement for Reform

[Commentary] A huge corporation helping to fix America’s ailing public housing infrastructure raises some important questions. Most importantly: is it even a private company’s job to fix what is a national problem of public concern?

The buddy-buddy nature of the partnership between Google and the Department of Housing and Urban Development will no doubt rub some civic-minded observers the wrong way, along with the apparent unwillingness of Sec Julián Castro to consider public solutions. And, let’s be real, an internet connection and good press for Google is no replacement for, oh, I don’t know, maybe addressing the social and economic issues that led to this problem in the first place? But it’s also true that free Google Fiber is way better deal than what some other communities are getting from the ConnectHome project.