Some Orange County residents get free tablet, computers and Wi-Fi

ORLANDO, Fla. - Nicholas O’Neal and his family each got free web-enabled tablet computers, Saturday morning - five of them, in all. "We're excited about it," he said, "not just for ourselves but really for everybody else."

They were some of the hundreds of people gathered at a Pine Hills church for the free devices. The goal was to help these Orange County residents bridge the so-called "digital divide," the gap between people able to afford their own computer devices and internet access, and those who couldn't. "No, can't afford it," O’Neal said, "so this helps that there's money through government to allow access to have tablets, and allow access to have the internet."

The Experience Christian Center partnered with Moolah Wireless to hand out 35,000 web-enabled tablets to qualified Orange County residents. These included seniors and veterans on Medicaid and Medicare, students and families collecting benefits, and others.

"Some parents are choosing between having Wi-Fi or food at the house," said Bishop Derrick McRae, an Orlando Pastor and one of the event's organizers, "we just want to make sure that that choice is not a hard choice anymore."

People who got the tablets received more than just a free device. They also got free internet access for themselves and their loved ones. The tablets are already linked to the T-Mobile network for free and can act as Wi-Fi hot spots for other nearby devices. "So by putting this tablet in their home, they now actually have home internet in their home," said Nate Jabbar, from Moolah Wireless.

As long as the recipients continued to qualify, the free wireless connection would renew each year. They would also get updated tablets regularly. McRae said the tablet giveaway addressed the digital gap within the community and gave equal access to the internet for school, work, and healthcare. "A way for us to help our community which is really underserved as it relates to internet access, it's our way of helping bridge that gap."