Bridging the Digital Divide: The Story of the Free Internet Initiative in LaGrange, Georgia

This paper describes the Free Internet Initiative in LaGrange, Georgia: a program undertaken by the City of LaGrange to address the digital divide. In 2000, LaGrange became the first city in the world to provide broadband Internet access to every citizen. This research explores the history of the initiative and documents the achievements made as well as the challenges that city officials have faced in bridging the digital divide. Due to the nature of the initiative, the case study provides a good context for examining the limits of technology access. In particular, we note that in spite of some positive results, the Free Internet Initiative has failed to have the impact that policy makers had hoped for with respect to bridging the digital divide. The implications of the city’s experience with the initiative are discussed.