Internet kiosks reach rural, urban areas
- By Daniel Keegan
- May 15, 2000
A new partnership will distribute 3,500 kiosks offering Internet access
and government information to areas that typically do not have access to
technology.
Vice President Al Gore's National Partnership for Reinventing Government
and Urban Cool Network Inc. will provide the interactive kiosks that will
include access to government services such as passport applications, copies
of birth certificates, drivers' license change-of-address forms, child support
and tax forms.
They also will list government information, locations of post offices and
military recruitment centers, and offer a calculator for mortgage payments
of Social Security benefits.
The kiosks, using a high-speed broadband connection, will connect to Urban
Cool Network's World Wide Web portal (www.urbancool.com), where users can
link to various information and check their e-mail.
The hope is to close the digital divide that exists between those who have
access to technology and those who do not, said Tony Winston, Urban Cool
Network's chief technology officer. "We want to deliver Internet technology
to an underserved population," he said.
The kiosks, sponsored by Urban Cool Network, will be established during
the next 18 months in libraries, government locations, community centers
and other areas.
Urban Cool Nework is a technology and Internet media company that aims to
bring Internet access to urban consumers and businesses. National Partnership
for Reinventing Government works with federal agencies and
private partners to reach its goal, to "restore trust in government."