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Acting locally to bridge the domestic digital divide

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There is a strong misconception that the digital divide does not exist in the United States. The reality is that there are many in the U.S. who have never accessed the Internet or even used a computer- literally millions of people. Through our 50x15 efforts, AMD recognizes these Americans as an important segment that should not be overlooked. We must take an inclusive approach and look domestically, as well as internationally, as we work toward our goal of connecting 50 percent of the world's population to the Internet by 2015.

One of the early domestic 50x15 deployments originates in AMD's backyard in Austin, Texas at Gonzalo Garza Independence High School. The Garza School, as it is affectionately called, is a high school with an alternative curriculum that accommodates high-risk students and youth that have difficulties finding success in a traditional classroom. The school runs 11 months out of the year as many students' home lives do not allow them to meet traditional attendance requirements. Students are not forced to go to Garza, they do so because they value education. Many students take multiple city buses to get to school every morning, and arrive each day with a drive to learn.

The 50x15 team saw the Garza School as a unique opportunity and approached the Garza School's students with an unusual proposal. They announced the PIC deployment to the East Austin high school and allowed the students to suggest how to utilize the rugged devices. Many ideas have been proposed, with the students positioning themselves as technology leaders, educators, and entrepreneurs within their own community. This deployment has spurred not only connectivity, but creativity, altruism, entrepreneurship, and local awareness.

While thinking globally about 50x15, we cannot forget to think locally. According to the Internet World Stats Website, Internet penetration within the United States is only 68.1%.* While this number may be considerably higher than many of the other areas of the world, the fact remains that a large portion of Americans do not have Internet access. This accounts for millions of people. People waiting to be empowered.

50x15 is committed to bridging the digital divide within the US in addition to around the world and the Garza School is just the beginning. This deployment is helping to establish a model that can be utilized in other schools and communities around the country, increasing connectivity and innovation among our citizens at the same time.

* Statistic from http://www.internetworldstats.com/