Title
Community Wireless Network (Digital Divide Cooperative Network) - Request to Amend Intergovernmental Agreement (Ordinance S-51206)
Description
Request to authorize the City Manager, or his designee, to amend Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) 154496 with Phoenix Union High School District, its participating public elementary partner schools, and the Maricopa County Community Colleges District (Educational Partners) to extend the term for the community wireless network, now known as the Phoenix Digital Education Connection Canopy (PHX DECC). Funding is available through the City’s allocation of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding received from the federal government and is under the Citywide Wireless Network Project and Partnership with Phoenix Union program.
Report
Summary
The digital divide is defined as the economic, education, and social inequalities between those who have computers and online access, and those who do not. Many Phoenix families still lack access to the internet, some due to lack of service providers in their areas and some due to economic barriers. Although the digital divide was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, digital equity is an ongoing problem that impacts education, workforce development, and other quality of life elements.
Starting in 2020, the City Council has allocated federal Coronavirus Relief Funds (CRF) and ARPA funds to this project aimed at bridging the digital divide. The City has facilitated collaboration among the Educational Partners, as well as with the Greater Phoenix Economic Council and Arizona Commerce Authority, to discuss and identify long-term digital divide solutions. Together, the City and Educational Partners (PHX DECC Team) successfully installed and tested the system at several beta-sites and, subsequently, in a four-square mile Proof of Concept area to connect students who otherwise would not have reliable internet access at home. The Proof of Concept area included Phoenix College and portions of the Cartwright Elementary and Alhambra School districts. This area has students and families, as well as staff, utilizing the PHX DECC for schoolwork and is reporting great success. Upgrades to the equipment in the Proof of Concept area and expansion to include the Roosevelt Elementary School District are currently underway and expected to be operational later this year.
With the PHX DECC pivoting from being a school district-wide solution to a neighborhood solution and offering a digital divide bridge in areas not currently served by internet providers, some ARPA funding has been reallocated to other projects.
Contract Term
If authorized, the IGA will be amended to extend the initial term through June 30, 2029, to account for unforeseen delays in expanding the PHX DECC beyond the Proof of Concept area. The current project model provides funding for the purchase and installation of equipment as well as for network maintenance and operations for five years and planned equipment replacement at the end of the initial term. The one five-year renewal option will remain in place.
Financial Impact
Total funding for the IGA, as amended, will not exceed $7.4 million. This includes the initial $2 million allocation of federal CRF, $3.2 million in ARPA funding, and $2.2 million in non-ARPA funding.
Concurrence/Previous Council Action
The City Council:
- Authorized the IGA on December 16, 2020 (Ordinance S-47201) (funding previously allocated on May 14, 2020).
- Authorized changes in ARPA funding and IGA amendments to reflect those changes on June 8, 2021, September 15, 2021, June 7, 2022, April 5, 2023, and February 21, 2024.
Location
Council Districts: 4, 5, 7 and 8
Department
Responsible Department
This item is submitted by Deputy City Manager John Chan and the Community and Economic Development Department.