Nearly three decades after the public debut of the World Wide Web, internet use, broadband adoption and smartphone ownership have grown rapidly for most but not all Americans. While many aspects of the digital divide have narrowed across metro and rural regions of the country, the digital lives of lower and higher-income families in the U.S. remain markedly different. According to a Pew Research Center report, nearly 50 percent of families with household incomes below $30,000 a year don’t have access to broadband services or a computer. Fortunately, there are some organizations that are endeavoring to change that.
Just recently, IPv4.Global, an operating unit of Hilco Streambank (www.hilcostreambank.com), named PCs for People the first-ever IPv4.Global Good Netizen Award winner. KidsTek was named the runner-up organization. The IPv4.Global Good Netizen Awards are designed to recognize local non-profit organizations that have demonstrated exceptional “netizenship” throughout their communities, including engaging in the promotion of internet access for all. The IPv4.Global Good Netizen Awards also recognize organizations that support and fund internet and technology education, and contribute to open and ethical internet business practices. Both PCs for People and KidsTek, which are non-profit organizations, will receive a financial contribution from a donation pool generated by IPv4Auctions.com sales.
“We are delighted to announce that PCs for People is the winner of the inaugural IPv4.Global Good Netizen Awards. By bridging the digital divide throughout the Denver area with computers for low-income families and individuals, PCs for People truly embodies what it means to be a ‘good netizen,’ going above and beyond to enhance its community,” commented Gabe Fried, Chief Executive Officer, Hilco Streambank. “We also would like to congratulate KidsTek for achieving runner-up, and look forward to providing both of these exceptional organizations with financial awards to support their ongoing missions.”
IPv4.Global will contribute one percent of its gross sales on the IPv4Auctions.com platform from July 8 through July 14. The company will divide the proceeds between PCs for People and KidsTek proportionate to the number of votes each organization received.
“We are honored and humbled to be recognized as the first-ever IPv4.Global Good Netizen Award winner. This opportunity has provided us not only with additional funding to support our goal of bridging Denver’s digital divide, but has created a platform to generate awareness on both a local and national level,” stated Julie Seltz, Denver Executive Director, PCs for People. “We would also like to extend our congratulations to KidsTek, as we all work together to provide access to the education and resources necessary to enhance the Denver community.”
“We are grateful to receive the honor of runner-up for the inaugural IPv4.Global Good Netizen Awards. When companies like IPv4.Global step up and give nonprofits like KidsTek a platform, it makes the world a better place and helps us fulfill our mission,” remarked Aimee Charlton, Executive Director, KidsTek. “We’d like to congratulate PCs for People as this year’s winner, and we look forward to continuing our work to promote digital literacy and provide our youth with access to technology.”
Future IPv4.Global Good Netizen Awards programs will coincide with industry meetings and events around the world, including NANOG 74 and ARIN 42 in Vancouver, British Columbia, this October. For more information about the IPv4.Global Good Netizen Awards, email hilco@imillerpr.com.
To learn more about IPv4.Global, visit www.ipv4.global.
For more information about Hilco Streambank, visit www.hilcostreambank.com/.
