Increased Internet Access in Racine County

RACINE — Ten new, free internet access points have been added in Racine County as a part of an ongoing initiative to improve internet connectivity.

The 10 new sites:

  • Greater Mount Eagle Baptist Church, 929 State St., Racine

  • Raymond Elementary School, 2659 76th St., Raymond

  • Wayman Church, 424 N. Memorial Drive, Racine

  • HALO, 2000 DeKoven Ave., Racine

  • Kingdom Builders Fellowship Center, 2707 Rapids Drive, Racine

  • Racine Police Department Sixth Street Cop House, 1522 W. Sixth St., Racine

  • Racine Police Department Geneva Street Cop House, 1140 Geneva St., Racine

  • Sturtevant Village Hall, 2801 89th St., Sturtevant

  • SAFE Haven of Racine, 1030 Washington Ave., Racine

  • Norway Town Hall, 6419 Heg Park Road, Norway –

*NOTE: expected to be online in late February

“Everyone in Racine County deserves internet access,” Delagrave said in a release. “For far too long, too much of our County has been without high-speed internet coverage.”

The county partnered with Gateway Technical College and Higher Expectations for Racine County to contribute more than $100,000 to fund at least 15 more internet access points across high-needs areas in the county.

The county also partnered with Franksville-based e-vergent, a local business providing internet service, as the provider for these sites.

‘Digital divide’

The internet access points were also created to close a “digital divide,” Delagrave said.

A digital divide, according to Stanford University, refers to the difference between underprivileged, rural communities lacking access to the internet and wealthier, middle-class communities having access.

Town of Norway Chairwoman Jean Jacobson said in the news release it might surprise people that Norway has areas that don’t have high-speed internet.

“Rural areas like ours are not served adequately because of the distance between homes, farms and businesses,” Jacobson said.

The digital divide, Delagrave said, has been exacerbated by the spread of the novel coronavirus.

“(It) has become even more glaring during the COVID-19 pandemic, when accessing information and resources is pivotal,” Delagrave said.

Having easy, no-cost access to the internet means more access to public health information and employment opportunities, which is especially helpful during the pandemic, said the news release.

Ron Tatum, director of community outreach at Kingdom Builders Fellowship Center, said the center is excited and proud to be one of the hosts for internet access in the City of Racine.

“The pandemic has highlighted the importance of internet access, particularly for communities of color,” Tatum said. “Increased connectivity will significantly improve access to educational resources (and) health care information, and make many other important connections.”

Read the original story here.

Elizabeth Erickson