Since its founding by Executive Director Katherine Messier in 2010, nonprofit Mobile Beacon has extended low-cost, high-speed mobile, internet-access service to nonprofits, schools, libraries and homes across the country.
In arguably its biggest accomplishment, the company started the first-ever library hotspot lending program in 2012 with the Providence Community Library, allowing patrons to check out 4G mobile hotspot devices as they would books. This program has since expanded to the New York Public Library System and 340 library systems nationwide. It is now the largest library hotspot program in the country, lending out 10,000 units to date.
Its donation program with TechSoup and Digital Wish has provided more than 7,400 affordable 4G LTE high-speed mobile services to schools, libraries and nonprofits since 2016. PCs for People and Mobile Beacon’s Bridging the Gap program have provided more than 30,000 families below the 200 percent poverty level with affordable computers and internet access.
Read more at Providence Business News.
