Girls In Tech

I’ve recently read a number of blog entries dedicated to critiquing the recent Clearwire and Sprint WiMAX deal from an economic standpoint. People want to know: what money is there to lose? What is there to gain? Who invested in what? And are they crazy for doing so?

For now, my answer is, “Who cares?”

I’d like to step away from this and focus on what WiMAX might contribute from a sociological standpoint. Personally, I am in complete support of WiMAX and what it might do for rural and underprivileged communities. By providing wireless internet access to areas that didn’t have it beforehand, there is potential to revolutionize the global education system.

Of course, critics will point out that part of the problem with the education system is the disparity of resources. If a WiMAX chip processor can commit to providing grants to some of these communities, providing them with the necessary equipment to jumpstart their journey into the wireless world, the possibilities are endless. When discussing costs, one must note that WiMAX is indeed the most cost-efficient way to distribute broadband data to rural areas. According to Jeff Evans, a Georgia Tech Research Institute senior research engineer, “With WiMAX, an internet service provider that wants to reach a small community up to 30 miles away can set up a wireless link for thousands of dollars rather than hundreds of thousands.” This alone should knock down a large portion of critics’ monetary concerns. This information is enough to make me very hopeful and enthusiastic about what’s to come.

By enabling these communities to have access to the internet, and in turn, information, we are fighting half the battle. After working with students from underprivileged backgrounds and speaking with teachers currently working in inner city school systems, the biggest obstacles that low-income students face is a lack of access to technological resources. Many of these families are lucky to have a computer at home, but cannot afford to pay for internet access, and are forced to scramble to find access to the internet – even to do simple homework assignments. This is a significant disadvantage for these students, as it makes it extremely difficult to work on school assignments in the time given to these kids. However, with technology such as WiMAX, companies can contribute funds to provide internet access to these areas. In addition, students can be better equipped to maximize the use of their computers to access the vast variety of resources on the internet. By providing an affordable system like WiMAX to these communities, we would be helping to bridge the “digital divide” that currently exists in education to our nation’s youth. After all, access to information and education in our nation is a right, not a privilege!

For more information, resources and articles in support of WiMAX technology in rural areas and for the benefit of our education system, visit:

• http://www.wimaxforum.org/technology/downloads/WiMAX_to_Bridge_the_Digitaldivide.pdf
• http://news.zdnet.co.uk/communications/0,1000000085,39189051,00.htm
• http://gtresearchnews.gatech.edu/newsrelease/wi-max.htm
• http://www.wimax.com/commentary/blog/blog-2008/wimax-in-education-market-to-reach-1-8-billion-by-2015
• http://www.computerworld.com.my:8080/WCIT2008/index.php/2008/05/19/using-it-to-enhance-lives/