For its ConnectHome program, the US government is partnering with several organizations in the private and public sectors. Google Fiber, for instance, will provide free monthly home Internet service to select public housing communities in Atlanta, Durham, North Carolina, Kansas City, Missouri and Nashville. Another provider, CenturyLink, is offering broadband service to HUD households in Seattle for $9.95 for the first year, increasing that monthly rate to $14.95 in the next four years. Cox Communications and Sprint, among others, will also participate.
Other companies and organizations will offer add-on services. Big-box retailer Best Buy, for instance, will provide computer training and technical support to HUD residents. The James M. Cox Foundation, a not-for-profit associated with Internet service provider Cox Communications, will provide 1,500
tabletsat $30 each to students and their families in Macon, Georgia. The open-source project GitHub is offering $250,000 to help with "digital literacy," Public Broadcasting Service will produce new content for children and the American Library Association will provide on-site training.