As the temperature heats up in Atlanta this summer, so has the city's efforts to bridge the digital divide. The city opened two community cyber centers that offer classes on such topics as navigating the Internet to instruction on basic applications such as Excel, Word and other programs

City officials say they plan to open 15 more such centers over the next few years.

"We think that this can be a model across the nation. The digital divide is not just in Atlanta. It's in every city; it's in rural communities," Mayor Bill Campbell told Wired News.

The center's services, including classes, are free to all Atlanta residents.

The centers are part of an $8.1 million Community Technology Initiative being funded by the city's cable television franchise agreement, where cable companies pay Atlanta fees to operate a franchise in exchange for using public right-of-ways to lay their cables, Wired reports.

Three major technology firms -- Earthlink, Gateway and SkillLearning.com also provided software, hardware, Internet access and training to the centers. The city is seeking other corporate partners to expand the number of tech centers, Wired reports.

Atlanta also plans to build a mobile techmobile to bring computers to residents who can't get to the existing centers.

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