Information Renaissance is committed to community networking and
experienced in the design, development and management of community
networking projects. We work to encourage the deployment of networking
infrastructure to enable access to advanced telecommunications
services, and develop programs to encourage the use of these services.
Projects have ranged from the use of high-bandwidth telecommunications
in a Smart Building to the use of such infrastructure for social
purposes including an After School Program to teach students, parents
and other residents to use the Internet; HealthNet extending health
care services in communities via local site access points; and a
Digital Resume Project to help youth find employment, using a Web
site with streaming audio and video.
- Background:
Fundamental principles and guiding philosophy.
- Projects:
The Smart Building project provides low-cost
high-speed shared Internet connectivity for non-profits housed
in Pittsburgh's Regional Enterprise Tower, former headquarters of
the Alcoa Corporation. The Wireless Neighborhoods project provides
Pittsburgh community service organizations and businesses citywide
with affordable, high-bandwidth access to the Internet
and facilities for sharing networked materials locally.
This structure evolved out of an earlier effort, known as the
Pittsburgh I-Net, to provide dark fiber to community groups as part
of the cable television franchise negotiations in Pittsburgh.
Info Ren also monitors telecommunications issues at the state
and national level and has offered testimony to regulatory
authorities at both levels.
- Resources:
Proposals, business plans, public comments and testimony, and
conference presentations.
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