Title
Wi-Fi for Residents at City-Owned Public Facilities
Description
Based on City Council’s May 5, 2020 approval of the City of Phoenix Coronavirus Relief Fund Strategic Plan, City staff is requesting approval to spend $1,250,000 from the Community Investment, Distance Learning and Wi-Fi Access section of the plan.
The Council approved $1 million for this section of the strategic plan. Staff is asking for approval to spend the additional $250,000 to fully fund free Wi-Fi in and around City facilities. The extra $250,000 would come from the “unallocated” Community Investment funds.
THIS ITEM IS FOR DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION.
Report
Summary
The digital divide has become increasingly more apparent as communities across the nation were faced with school closures, unemployment and many other unexpected circumstances as a result of COVID-19.
This request increases the availability of free public Wi-Fi access for residents at City-owned facilities. Staff will come back to the City Council at a later date with a plan for more broad community-wide Wi-Fi initiatives.
Wi-Fi Access for City Public Housing Residents
Housing Department is seeking approval to purchase and provide 800 tablets with built-in Wi-Fi hotspots with unlimited data for Public Housing households with school-age children though Housing's HUD ConnectHome partner T-Mobile for a cost of $660,000. Housing is able to utilize an already existing contract through the HUD ConnectHome partnership. This equipment will provide the means for digital learning as well as family access to telemedicine, online services, and social media. This activity aligns with the HUD ConnectHome Program's goal of bridging the digital divide in low-income households.
Phoenix Housing is a HUD ConnectHome USA community and part of the 2017 cohort of nationwide Public Housing Authorities participating in this program. ConnectHome is a public-private collaboration designed to assist Public Housing Authorities with bridging the digital divide. Our experience working with our residents and with industry experts in this Program has led us to identify Wi-Fi hotspots as the best method of providing connectivity in Phoenix Public Housing. Similar tablets have been provided to a few Public Housing residents in the last year. Residents like these tablets for their ease of use, portability, and similar platform to Android cell phones.
T-Mobile is an official HUD ConnectHome stakeholder for both high speed internet access and devices. Phoenix Housing has an established partnership with T-Mobile via the ConnectHome Program and has been working closely with them for over a year. The partnership has succeeded because T-Mobile is both a ConnectHome stakeholder and an approved contractor with the City. T-Mobile was a partner in our recent GitHub micro grant application and award. As part of the grant, they will provide 25 free tablets for Public Housing residents and the grant will be paying for one year of service on those tablets.
T-Mobile has confirmed they have these devices available in inventory and will ship them in batches of 250 at a time based on Housing's distribution plan. T-Mobile will provide an on-site implementation team to assist with the distribution and trouble-shooting any issues.
These devices are primarily aimed at providing school-age children with unlimited access to digital educational programming. The Housing Department has built close relationships with the school districts that serve our public housing children. Staff meets regularly with the School District and two Housing Caseworkers, funded by the Choice Neighborhoods Program, are embedded in two Phoenix Elementary schools. Housing staff will be working directly with the schools to image the devices and provide support for recommended educational resources. Housing also plans to incorporate digital educational activities in our Summer Kids Programs.
Housing will provide the tablets with Wi-Fi hotspots to households with school-age children at the following nine family Public Housing Sites:
- Aeroterra
- Frank Luke Homes
- A.L. Krohn Homes
- Sidney P. Osborn Homes
- Marcos de Niza
- Foothills Village
- Mathew Henson
- The Symphony
- Summit Apartments
Based on time needed to ship and prepare the devices, staff anticipate providing the first 250 of these devices to households in early June and will complete the distribution by the end of July.
Free Public Wi-Fi Access In and Around City-Owned Public Facilities
The City currently offers free Wi-Fi access at all 52 libraries, community and senior centers, and recreation centers, except for the four recreation centers at Grant, Holiday, Playa Margarita and Hayden. This proposal seeks City Council approval to install Wi-Fi at these four remaining City-owned public facilities.
To provide even greater Wi-Fi access for residents, this proposal also seeks City Council approval to install Wi-Fi access points and antennas on the roof or exterior wall(s) of all 52 libraries, community and senior centers, and recreation centers so that residents can enjoy free connectivity in the parking lots and around these City-owned public facilities.
Both of these initiatives would use the City’s contract authority with its current Wi-Fi equipment provider, Cisco Systems, and would cost $590,000. Estimated completion date is August 2020, to coincide with the start of the next school year.
Department
Responsible Department
This item is submitted by Deputy City Managers Mario Paniagua and Toni Maccarone, and the Housing, Parks and Recreation, Library, and Information Technology Services departments.