The winners provide a mix of solutions to promote an open Internet that is free and accessible to all. They address issues from privacy and censorship, to expanding the diversity of the tech workforce, to improving digital access and connecting communities with online content in easier, more useful ways. In a city where 27 percent of households don’t have access to broadband, the New York Public Library will expand its efforts to bridge the digital divide by allowing the public to borrow portable wifi hotspot devices for up to a year. Through its pilot project launching in September, the project seeks to reach 10,000 households, providing 24/7 quality access to people whose current access to the Internet is limited to 40-minute, once-a-day timeslots, available on a first-come, first-serve basis in one of the library’s 92 branches. Providing continuous access will expand their ability to participate fully in the modern economy and allow them to continue to learn, work, explore, and create after the library’s doors have closed. Launched in February, the challenge is a collaboration between Knight, the Ford Foundation, and the Mozilla Foundation. Ford Foundation contributed $250,000 to the challenge. The Knight News Challenge asked innovators for ideas that strengthen the Internet for freedom of expression and innovation, recognizing its power as an essential resource for creativity, news, economic growth, education, and human interaction. Tech Cocktail received a $150,000 grant from the Knight Foundation last year.
