This City Closed the Digital Divide With Secure, Public Wi-Fi
Providing reliable Wi-Fi connectivity can help underserved community members unlock education and economic opportunities.
In a western U.S. city consisting of 538,000 residents, one in five live below the poverty line:
- 44,000 households are in poverty.
- 32,000 households have no reliable internet access.
- Challenges from COVID-19 emphasized the need for better connectivity.
With $3.5 million in CARES Act funding, they had the funding to invest in infrastructure.
The goal: Give students better access to virtual schooling and enable families to work remotely.
Step-by-step process:
1. Go through the two-phased approach.
Insight Cloud + Data Center Transformation helped the city achieve greater connectivity by launching a comprehensive metropolitan Citizen Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) network.
- Phase 1: Implementation over a 30–45 day schedule
- Surveys and design
- Cell construction
- Go-live
- Maintenance break/fix support
- Managed services
- Phase 2: Expanding services
- Adding 7,000 more public Wi-Fi endpoints
- Employing devices across 50–70+ sites
2. Partner with other providers for a cost-effective solution.
Technology deliverables
- JMA Wireless XRAN technology delivered software-based architecture that’s 5G-ready.
- 5,000 Sierra Wireless AirLink RV55 endpoints devices delivered additional reach to residential locations.
- Geoverse solutions delivered remote monitoring and end-user network support.
- Tilson pre-stages Internet of Things (IoT)-based gateways delivered support for an upcoming Smart City-based project.
3. Enjoy the benefits.
- Reliable internet access for more than 12,500 city residents
- Successful deployment of an outdoor Wi-Fi and 5G solution
- Multilayered network design based on existing infrastructure
- Expediated service delivery and controlled costs
- Ongoing monitoring and maintenance
