A Louis Vuitton purse, a Michael Kors watch or a trip to Hawaii are luxuries to many people, but in many Phoenix communities, having reliable internet connectivity is a form of luxury.
The Phoenix Digital Education Connection Canopy aims to make internet connectivity a standard rather than a privilege.
More than 250,000 families lack adequate connection to the internet or do not have access at all, according to Eric Jay Toll, communications manager for the city of Phoenix.
The pandemic forced student’s homes to become temporary learning spaces, and for many students, having reliable internet access is the difference in how well they do in class.
Even though many Phoenix students have returned to in-person learning, the need for digital connection – once they return home after school – is still necessary to complete school assignments.
The digital divide has been prevalent in many underprivileged communities of Phoenix, where low-income families cannot afford the technology needed in order for students to complete assignments, let alone other main necessities for their household.
Many coffee shops and libraries during the pandemic did not offer in-person seating, so the option to use free Wi-Fi inside those businesses may not have been available to students who were learning remotely.
“The need is urgent in my district,” Councilwoman Yassamin Ansari of Council District 7 said.
The Phoenix Digital Education Connection Canopy was created in response to the digital divide. The canopy would bring free, secure, high-speed, wireless internet connection to homes within the school district. The access would mainly be for students and parents to access virtual classrooms, schoolwork, or other school-related needs.
“Connectivity is so important whether you’re filling out your FAFSA or doing your homework, and I’m glad the city of Phoenix can be a partner,” Mayor Kate Gallego said.
Councilwoman Laura Pastor has been a key leader in bridging the partnership with Phoenix College, which is where the program originally began. Pastor’s role in the Phoenix Union High School District Governing Board and city council assisted in making the project become a reality.
The initial budget approval back in May of 2020 by the city council allowed additional infrastructure to be built to test and accommodate the widening wireless internet need, and with much testing done in a nearly 18-month period, the program went into effect on Sept. 1 in the districts of Alhambra and Cartwright Elementary, as well as Phoenix Union High School District.
The city council meeting on Sept. 15 approved an additional $10 million in funding that was already set aside from the American Rescue Plan Act to continue building the additional infrastructure needed to expand the wireless connection.
“I think these are some of the best investments we can make, especially with the permanency of this program and the fact that it’s infrastructure that’s going to be here for a long time for future generations,” Vice Mayor Carlos Garcia of Council District 8 said.
As social-economic conditions have contributed to many Phoenix families’ concerns about their children’s education because of internet access affordability, the PHX DECC will be able to alleviate some of the stress parents may have for their children’s future.
The program serves to hopefully be a long-term solution for the digital divide.
Contact the reporter at lbuasi@asu.edu.
