Some library patrons are trying out free Wi-Fi access at home, as other are payling for broadband like never before...
When Magdalena Martinez opens up her Internet browser at home, the first place she often goes is a Spanish translation website. The unemployed mother of three started using the Internet six months ago, when The New York Public Library selected her to join a pilot program that provided her with an Internet router and a cheap laptop. She took them home, plugged them in and started surfing the Web, free of charge.
"I use it to help my daughters with their homework," Martinez, 34, said through a translator.
"Before, I would text other people translation questions,” she said. “I couldn't help them as much."
The city’s Library HotSpot program was launched this week, with up to 10,000 New Yorkers eligible to join Martinez in getting free access to wireless Internet at home. The launch comes as Internet access fees through traditional cable and phone companies continue to rise.
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