Peter Orne Broadband Wireless Communities Blog

Meet Wireless Philadelphia CEO Greg Goldman

In early July, , the nonprofit organization that, along with partner EarthLink, is leading the effort to build out a citywide wireless network to provide broadband connectivity to all points within Philadelphia. Goldman spoke with The W2i Report about getting the organization up and running and its large-scale mission of digital inclusion — helping Philadelphians gain access to the Internet with affordable broadband service, hardware, software, and technical support.

What have been your first impressions on the job?

This is the implementation phase of the Wireless Philadelphia program, and it's a complicated environment. Even though it's local, there are many players in involved. Mostly what I have been doing to date is to ramp up in terms of my own understanding of the key individuals who got us to this point of unique opportunity, and to focus on creating a small organization that will actually be able to implement the Digital Inclusion objectives to achieve the Mayor’s vision for the City of Philadelphia.

What are your day-to-day activities at present?

I've been doing a lot of outside work interviewing, debriefing and data-dumping with a lot of people, and getting this small organization established — from the basic office set-up to reaching out to partners to submitting the nonprofit status form, and hiring a staff of five, including myself, who are able to see and deal with this program at the big-picture level and roll up their sleeves to get the organization going.

Wireless Philadelphia has a focus on social services as well as fundraising, correct?

Absolutely. The Wireless Philadelphia Board and the Mayor made it clear that they were looking for a CEO — more than even a CIO — to deliver services based on the digital inclusion mission. My team is well versed in fundraising. Our goal is to leverage existing relationships in the city and begin to raise money. We’re actually having our first fundraiser on November 30, to introduce ourselves and begin building that donor base.

What is Wireless Philadelphia’s mandate?

Wireless Philadelphia was created to bridge the digital divide and transform Philadelphia's neighborhoods by making high-speed Internet access more available and affordable. In many ways, we are a traditional nonprofit providing specific services to an at-need population.

What is the organization’s strategy going forward?

The Wireless Philadelphia model is based on a partnership strategy with local community associations or our Wireless Internet Partners (WIPs). These community-based organizations will partner with Wireless Philadelphia to develop and deliver programs that bridge the digital divide and create a neighborhood presence for the overall Wireless Philadelphia program. These organizations will serve as the point of contact for all digital inclusion customers and their needs (training, opening an internet service account, PC purchase info, and so on).

Where do local-government services and e-Government applications fit into the overall plan?

I look at our mission through a two-tiered approach. First and foremost is digital inclusion and our role in overseeing the build-out of the network. Secondarily, Wireless Philadelphia will help all citizens, businesses, schools, and community organizations embrace this technology while strengthening the city's economy, enhancing the visitor experience, and streamlining city services.

Authors