West Baltimore could soon become home to a free wireless network providing communities within a 7 mile area with better internet connectivity — a tool for jobs and opportunity.

As reported in The Baltimore Sun:

The plan for the Wi-Fi network is one of several initiatives underway in the area under the umbrella of the Innovation Village, a coalition of community groups, public agencies, universities, businesses and others focused on spurring economic growth in West Baltimore.

The goal of the Wi-Fi network is to make it easier for families there to do schoolwork, apply for jobs and navigate a world where reliable internet access has become essential.

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OneBaltimore, the nonprofit the city started last year to channel the outpouring of initiatives launched in spring 2015, is backing the start of the Innovation Village Wi-Fi network with $50,000 for a pilot.

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More than a quarter of Baltimore households had no internet access in 2014 and about a fifth had no computer, according to the most recent census estimates. That’s about 5 percentage points higher than the national average in both cases.

Without a home internet subscription and a computer, low- and moderate-income families are less likely to shop, bank or apply for jobs online, even if they connect to the internet through a phone or at public access points such as libraries, a recent report on digital equity found. The report cited cost as the major barrier.

For more information read the full article in The Baltimore Sun.