“Sign up for an affordable Internet service and take a Chromebook!”
Happy Village, a Los Angeles-based nonprofit, is helping residents in Orange County and its surrounding areas to gain access to Internet at an affordable price. Thanks in large to a partnership with California Emerging Technology Fund (CETF), Happy Village is trying to raise the bar on bridging the capacity to obtain information between the low-income families in Southern California and more affluent households.
Alongside CETF and Internet service provider Frontier, Happy Village has recently signed a memorandum of understanding with a default mission of distributing access to the Internet to the low-income families of the L.A. metropolitan area. Those who sign up also receive a free Chromebook. CETF has already provided 1,000 Chromebooks for the promotion.
“The likes of AT&T and Mobile Citizen also hand out Chromebook to customers who sign up, but that only applies to those who reside in areas where the services are provided,” said Happy Village representative Mark Lee.
“Frontier is available to everyone who lives in Orange County’s Buena Park, Anaheim, Fullerton and even Artesia, Lakewood and Long Beach,” Lee added.
To take advantage of Frontier’s affordable Internet service, the customer must not have had Internet connection at home for the last six months. The customer must also sign up for California LifeLine, a phone service exclusive to low-income families, which only cost between $3.64 and $6.84 per month. LifeLine is only available to those residing in Section 8 housing or the beneficiaries of Medi-Cal, SSI or WIC.
Those who wish to take advantage of the program may confirm their eligibility by calling Happy Village at 213-368-2679 or by accessing hvkadc.org.
Happy Village is currently seeking other organizations, including religious and nonprofit groups, to participate in promoting the cause of wiring low-income families.
By Sang Hwan Lim
