Last week, Thailand’s government announced they would be offering free wireless Internet service at over 15,000 hotspots in Bangkok for one year. In an effort to curb transportation and energy costs, the municipal government is providing free Wi-Fi to urge people to start communicating through e-mail instead of travel. The one caveat is that the free Internet services will only offer 64k connections – about the speed of dial-up. While 64k connections are very slow compared to broadband connections, it is still possible to receive and send e-mails, which is the main point of offering this service. Maybe the connection speed is not ideal, but you gotta start somewhere, and Bangkok has the right idea -- providing residents with free Internet service in order to communicate and conduct business, as well as a host of other things available on the Web.

As more municipalities and one or two states (Philadelphia, PA; Statesboro, GA; Ohio, etc.) are coming forth with plans to provide either affordable universal high-speed access or free Wi-Fi service to their communities, the issue of Internet access is becoming increasingly prevalent. Access to the Internet provides access to a bevy of economic, political, educational, and social resources. In an age where finding employment opportunities and applying for jobs requires going online, people without access lose out and are put at an extreme disadvantage. Moreover, the U.S., being the birthplace of the Internet, now ranks 15th in world broadband penetration. In order to continue fostering economic, educational, and social innovation, the U.S. must do something to close the gap and get everyone connected. Although the situation is dismaying, there is a growing movement, including the recent launch of InternetforEveryone.org, to advocate for digital inclusion for all Americans.