Wi-Fi Hotspots Now Available for Checkout at Library
Monday, December 6, 2021 at 3:33PM Greg Wilson/Anderson Observer
The Anderson County Library now has Wi-Fi hotspots available to help increase broadband availability in the county.
Available to anyone with a library card, the program is made possible by a partnership between the county, the library and T-Mobile to provide internet access.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted that residents of Anderson County face issues with broadband availability and affordability," said Library Director Annie Sutton. "Some residents do not have access to broadband internet in their area or simply cannot afford to pay for internet in their homes. The library already provides internet and Wi-Fi access in all nine libraries. Providing hotspots to check out seems a natural addition to library services.”
Several areas of Anderson County are without reliable broadband, a challenge that the county leaders have been working on for the past few years.
"This is another example of an innovative program from one of the best libraries in the state," said Anderson County Administrator Rusty Burns. "Our hope is it will help those who need to access the internet but find it difficult due to where they live.
According to the United State Census Bureau, around 18,000 households in Anderson County do not have internet access. The hotspot lending program, which is supported by funds from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), will provide invaluable Internet access to individuals for education, employment, and services. In addition, the Library will provide anonymized geographic data, patterns, and trends to Anderson County leaders to help better inform future broadband infrastructure projects.
Wi-Fi hotpots are available to check out with an adult library card from each of the library system’s 9 locations, with the greatest number available at the Honea Path, Iva, and Anderson Main libraries. Hotpots can be checked out for two weeks at a time. If hotspots are not returned after the two weeks, internet access will be disabled until the device is returned. All devices are equipped with standard content filtering.
“We continually work to offer unique, creative items for checkout and to meet the needs of our residents. I’m excited to provide this new service for library patrons,” said Sutton.