Federal broadband stimulus dollars will bring 800 new public computers to Philadelphia, the same number currently available throughout the Free Library‘s 54 regional branches.

On Friday the Division of Technology announced that it will receive $6.4 million in federal dollars to fund public computer centers, new and old, throughout the city, according to a press release.

Twenty-five existing computer centers will be improved and 48 centers created at anchor institutions that include city recreation centers, homeless shelters, public housing and community-based organizations. Hours of access at the existing public centers will also be increased, providing for 14,000 more people per week.

The project—led by DOT—includes partnerships with the Department of Parks and Recreation and the Free Library of Philadelphia. Philadelphia FIGHT, the People’s Emergency Center, Philadlephia OIC and Media Mobilizing Project will also be involved.

The grant comes as part of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration‘s federal broadband stimulus funds—more than $4 billion for broadband-related projects—set aside by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

If ever there was an example of the impact 800 new computers will bring to the region, it’s that which was evidenced in our September piece about last year’s state budget crunch, which threatened the availability of the Free Library’s public access computers.

The library system—which now serves patrons on 800 existing computer terminals—accounts for 1.3 million annual computer reservations.

It’s in our libraries and at public computer centers that folks without computer and web access have the opportunity to take advantage of what many with access may take for granted. It’s estimated that about 50 percent of the region’s households are without broadband Internet access.

Last August, the City of Philadelphia applied for $35 million of the broadband stimulus pot through several grant applications, as we reported.

But contrary to the Governor’s office highest recommendation—a $2.3 million bid from the Philadelphia Housing Authority—it was the city’s application to improve public computer centers which appears to have most impressed the feds, though its originally proposed $14 million budget was more than halved.

Preparation for the city’s application began in May 2009, when Chief Technology Officer Allan Frank began assembling stakeholders throughout the city to discuss Philadelphia’s digital future, as we reported in our comprehensive coverage of the process.

As part of what Frank has called his “Digital Philadelphia” vision, those stakeholders began completing several federal broadband stimulus grant applications, including one to help improve network infrastructure throughout the city and several for computer implementation and education, like the one awarded Friday. Partners like the Free Library, Media Mobilizing Project and others were closely involved in drafting the application.

After it seemed unlikely that the city would receive funding for its middle mile network infrastructure improvements—the possibility of federal funding seemed more plausable for its computer centers—the Division of Technology applied for the opportunity to become a test candidate for Google’s ultra-high speed fiber broadband in May, as we reported.

Google’s candidates are expected to be announced this fall.

Comcast has filed controversial commentary that some speculate could hurt Philadelphia-based requests for broadband stimulus grants.

In a move seen elsewhere in the U.S., the Center City-based telecommunications giant submitted formal comments to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration on three Philadelphia-based applications – each seeking a piece of $4.6 billion in broadband grants – including the infrastructure portion of the city’s Digital Philadelphia vision.

Local pundits say the move is intended to challenge Philly’s broadband proposals. Broadband activists, like Rutgers University Professor Todd Wolfson, say it is an attempt to suggest that the applications are ineligible for grants, which seek to provide money to areas “unserved” or “underserved” by broadband connectivity.

The NTIA requires that grants go to locations where the rate of broadband subscription is below 40 percent of households. Though broadband penetration is estimated to be as low as 50 percent in Philadelphia, Comcast’s actual coverage blankets higher percentages of the population.

Comcast submitted to the NTIA a summary of its coverage area and subscriber information in the Philadelphia region, Comcast spokesperson Sena Fitzmaurice tells Technically Philly.

“We would not describe it as a ‘challenge,’ we describe it as filing factual information,” she said in a telephone interview. “There was an opportunity to object, but this is just a straight description of where we provide service and where we don’t.”

Wolfson, though, says it’s about business competition. He points to a story published in October by Bloomberg, pinning Comcast Vice President David L. Cohen against proposals that undermine Comcast’s business.

“Those applications don’t qualify for funding primarily because they are applications to provide service in areas where there is already broadband service,” Cohen told the publication.

Despite speculation, though, Comcast has not filed suit to try to block grants to the city. City Chief Technology Officer Allan Frank, who organized dozens of stakeholders throughout the city to plan the Digital Philadelphia proposals, said rumors that Comcast is trying to squash potential competition are not true.

Read more about Digital Philadelphia in our multimedia package on its impact on the future of Philadelphia's technology ecosystem.

“We have a good relationship with Comcast,” he said in an e-mail to Technically Philly.

The Division of Technology‘s $21.8 middle mile infrastructure application, Wilco Electronics Systems‘ $21.8 million fiber network application for underserved low-income public housing residents and the Delaware County Library System‘s $300,000 proposal each received the same public notice from Comcast.

The City’s sustainable broadband adoption proposal it took a part of the Digital Philadelphia vision submitted by Free Library, along with the Philadelphia Housing Authority‘s $2.3 million dollar public computer center bid, were left unmentioned by the telecom.

Wolfson, who helped draft the broadband adoption portion of the Digital Philadelphia proposal, says that Comcast “needs to be held accountable” for limiting the build-out of affordable broadband infrastructure in the city.

“The political question isn’t whether we’re going to get training programs, the political question is whether we’re going to get infrastructure that creates competition,” he says.

Comcast’s responses could further deter the city’s chances to nab federal broadband money, after the Commonwealth dissed the Digital Philadelphia vision in recommendations to the NTIA in October, as we reported.

Frank says that there’s still a second round of funding and still hope.

“The fact is federal guidelines for broadband basically shut out big cities with multiple telcos [in the first round of funding],” he says. “[Broadband is] available, just unaffordable.”

Modeled after Earth Day, One Web is an international event meant to raise the public’s awareness of Web issues. No, not the Facebook redesign. We’re talking issues like estimates that 50 percent Philadelphia does not have access to the Internet.

This year, organizer Gwen Shaffer is helping bring the event to Philly for the first time. “It’s an opportunity to demonstrate the positive impact broadband can have on people’s lives,” Shaffer says. She hopes to have a week of service built around the main event, a day filled with speakers, multimedia and stories about the Net’s impact.

“We will probably collect testimonials from either people who don’t have Internet and talk about how it would change their lives, and then get stories from people about how their lives were different before they had broadband,” she says. “Put a human face on what many of us take for granted.”

The organizers need your help. Shaffer says she is confident that the City will participate with the event, but the search for volunteers, corporate sponsors and additional partners has only begun. After the jump, it’s hard not to be persuaded into lending a hand.

What’s your personal stake in One Web Day?

It’s an issue I care about. I’m about to finish my PhD and I studied telecommunications policy. The majority of research I’ve done is on digital inclusion and online civic engagement.

Were you studying Philadelphia’s digital inclusion or looking at broader issues?

A few years ago when Wireless Philadelphia existed I did a study on it and on municipal wireless networks in general, I have done multiple studies on alternative broadband models and my dissertation is on peer-to-peer networking; wireless network sharing. The idea is to get more people online, especially in low income neighborhoods, where somebody can’t afford $45 a month, why not share the bandwidth?

Because Comcast says you can’t, right?

Right, exactly. One of the things I proposed in my dissertation, there’s E-Rate, where schools and libraries are subsidized for up to 90 percent of their Internet connections. So, for instance, the Free Library only pays a small amount for the monthly subscription and the Federal government reimburses the rest. If those centrally located places can open up their signal, then all those neighbors can get free Internet access. It’s all about policy. Deciding that we want to prioritize this.

Do you have any potential partners for One Web Day?

Our plan is to partner with the Philadelphia Housing Authority and I met with them last week and I have a tentative commitment. If we can get corporate sponsors, we’re going to try to get some companies to donate computers that they no longer use to PHA. In San Francisco, one of the things Digital Inclusion program did was get some local legislation passed where there’s a tax break or some kind of incentive for companies to give away computers to be refurbished rather than recycle them [See our coverage of the school district's e-waste problem]. Maybe they’d even have employees who’d want to volunteer.

What kind of things to do you expect to happen during the week of service?

One of the things I’ve talked about doing is having volunteers come in and do basic computer training with PHA residents. Then, doing some really targeted stuff like possibly going to some of the high rises that are designated for senior citizens, for example, and teaching people just how to use e-mail. And maybe another workshop that’s targeted for job seekers in public housing. With high school kids, we could do a college resource workshop.

This would certainly raise awareness but where would you like to see it go after the week of service?

Hopefully it will be a catalyst for some policy changes that will help mobilize people that are interested in this issue to keep putting pressure on lawmakers to expand Internet access for residents. Depending on where the city is on Digital Philadelphia come September 22, maybe this could be a good platform to talk about Allan Frank’s plans.

How can folks get in contact with you?

There’s a Philly Web page setup at One Web Day. Anyone can e-mail me directly, too. I’m hoping to have our first organizing meeting soon.

Anything else you want to say to convince folks to volunteer?

I interviewed librarians at branches around the city and it was routine to talk to people who said that patrons wait 2 hours to use a computer at the Philadelphia Free Library branches for 30 minutes. The demand is there and we need to address it. Computers in public spaces are great but they’re not the solution. People need connectivity at home. That’s where the conversation needs to shift.

Every Friday, Technically Philly brings an interview with a leader or innovator in Philadelphia’s technology community. See others here.