Phoenix City Council today in its formal public session decided to pass an Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) with the Phoenix Union High School District, 13 public elementary schools and the Maricopa County Community Colleges District for an additional $ 10 million for the remainder Construction of the community wireless network project in Districts 4, 5, 7 and 8.
The project was first proposed in May 2020 and approved with $ 2 million. These funds were intended to help students and their families struggling through economic barriers provide internet access for schoolwork during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Online learning was difficult for many students, and several households reportedly struggled to find reliable internet connections during school closings, making things even more difficult. The program is designed to support families during the hybrid learning process as schools slowly reopen in the 2021-2022 school year.
Members of the City of Phoenix, Phoenix College, Phoenix Union High School District, Greater Phoenix Economic Council, and the Arizona Commerce Authority have been working together since the school closed in 2020 to discuss more permanent, long-term solutions to the digital divide that is happening in the Valley .
“I am very happy about this project and will proudly vote yes to the 10 million city councilor Yassamin Ansari. “The need is urgent in my district.”
Requests to modify the existing IGA to add the $ 10 million in funding will help advance the next phase of the digital divide project to expand the existing Wi-Fi system to an area of 4 square miles, the Internet access of over almost 1,000. enables needy students who normally do not have reliable connections to study in their home country.
“We know that the digital divide will be an ongoing issue even after the pandemic. From our local businesses in South Central to our farms and mountain homes in Laveen to seniors and parents in West Phoenix, many communities will benefit [project]“Added Ansari. “Even though personal learning is well advanced, we need to make sure everyone has access.”
After approval of the initial $ 2 million, several beta test sites were successfully installed which made it possible to gather useful information during the process that turned out to be positive feedback and user experience data. The tests included the campus and offices of Phoenix College and PUHSD. The data collected will be used to take the project to the next step, which aims to increase the capacity of the Wi-Fi system and reach the communities in Districts 4, 5, 7 and 8.
“This project started with the Alhambra and Cartwright elementary school districts and it’s a big deal. I am very excited to support this, “said Carlos Garcia, Vice Mayor of District 8.” I think the use of the ARPA and COVID Relief Funds are some of the best investments we can make, especially given the persistence of this program and the fact that its infrastructure will last for a long time and for future generations, so I’m thrilled to vote yes. “
Funding for this project comes from the city’s assignment of the American Rescue Plan Act, which was received by the federal government. The project will have no impact on the General Fund and total funding will not exceed $ 12 million.
“These elements will help improve our WiFi accessibility. When the pandemic broke out, students were asked to continue their education digitally from home and many students did not have access to the internet and some did not even have a computer for schoolwork, ”said Ann O’Brien, councilor for District 1. “These are natural next steps to bridge this digital divide between our students and residents and to upgrade our city government to 21.”NS Century technologies and I fully support this article. “
The Phoenix City Council all appeared to be in agreement with the project, but the public also took part in the meeting.
“I am concerned about the health effects of using wireless radiation in more places in the city and people broadcasting it around the clock without being able to turn down the technology,” said Shaina Cinnamon. “The 5G towers are already all over town and it doesn’t feel right to just see more of them pop up when there are other alternatives like fiber optics and other things we can do besides broadcasting people.”
Jason Paul, who disapproves of wireless communication frequencies, said at the meeting that his wife, who worked in a cell tower site for 10 years, was diagnosed with malignant brain cancer in August 2020, diagnosed in 2012 that the Radiation from cell phones and towers is potentially carcinogenic to humans and can cause glioma, a type of brain tumor. Towers are more dangerous because they emit more radiation around the clock, ”he said.
Both arguments for and against the Community Wireless Network Project were heard and taken into account in the final decision on the program. The article was put to the vote and passed 8-0. For more information on where to find locations in Phoenix that offer free WiFi, see https://www.phoenix.gov/its/wireless-network Website. According to the website, the city of Phoenix has expanded its wireless coverage outside of nearly 50 libraries, community, senior and recreational centers to ensure that every student has access to the internet to do their schoolwork. This public service is offered to residents who can sit in parking lots and public areas outside the participating facilities to plug in their devices from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. Phoenix City Council has approved this installation of Wi-Fi antennas on city-owned and public facilities through Federal Coronavirus Aid, Aid, and Economic Security Act.
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