Many residents of rural McDowell County, in North Carolina, lack fast, reliable internet at home, especially if they live outside of towns. So when coffee shops, schools, libraries, and other providers of free Wi-Fi were shuttered by the pandemic, those residents were effectively put off-line.
In response, McDowell Technical Community College turned its parking lot into a sort of free internet cafe, providing a crucial Wi-Fi hotspot for the area.
“Higher ed plays a role in being a leader, especially in a small, rural community,” says John Gossett, president of McDowell Tech, of the decision to offer his institution’s Wi-Fi service to community members.
McDowell Tech offers online and hybrid courses to students across the region, in the western part of the state. So classes were already largely online before the pandemic, Gossett notes. It took staff members no time at all, he says, to extend Wi-Fi into the parking lot and set up signs showing users where to park.
In addition to getting the word out via social media, email, and the college’s website, McDowell took out ads in the local newspaper to reach people without internet access. And local residents have shown up to use the service.
Colleges elsewhere, too, have stepped up to share their bandwidth. Bishop State Community College, in Mobile, Ala., has opened its parking lots to students who need Wi-Fi. And some institutions, like the Maricopa Community Colleges, in Arizona, have compiled lists of free or discounted internet services for students during the pandemic.
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