Empowering Communities with Free Internet: St. Louis Strengthens Digital Connectivity in Public Spaces
With the help of funding from the American Rescue Plan Act, Jones’ administration and SLDC began installing free WiFi in nine city parks.
This week, with the help of funding from the American Rescue Plan Act, Mayor Tishaura O. Jones’ administration, in partnership with the St. Louis Development Corporation (SLDC), began installing free WiFi in nine city parks.
“Internet access is a vital public utility,” said Mayor Jones. “As we continue to focus on bridging the digital divide, easily accessible WiFi in our parks will help St. Louis residents to stay connected.”
To advance Digital Equity in the City of St. Louis, SLDC is investing $5 million of its ARPA allocation to create digital literacy programs and broaden access to high-speed internet.
“Investing in digital equity programs like community WiFi enables residents, businesses and community organizations to participate in the 21st-century economy,” said SLDC President and CEO Neal Richardson. “Bridging the digital divide is one of the core initiatives of the Economic Empowerment pillar of the Economic Justice Action Plan [www.economicjusticestl.org], and broadening access to Wi-Fi in public places like selected city parks will give residents another location to connect to the internet.”
According to a study [stlgives.org] conducted last year by Ernst & Young in collaboration with the St. Louis Community Foundation, there are tens of thousands of families in St. Louis who cannot access high-speed broadband (HSBB) and internet-enabled devices in their own homes due to cost. The report found that 150,000 households in the city “struggle to afford” HSBB; at least 25% of households “do not have a computer, or only have a smartphone.” For some North City neighborhoods like Walnut Park, that number jumps to over 30%.
“Community WiFi leverages city assets to increase internet access for our residents closer to where they live,” said Simon Huang, St. Louis City Chief Technology Officer. “Our goal is to ensure every resident has the opportunity to connect, learn and thrive in our increasingly digital society.”
Phase 1 of the initiative began earlier this week with these nine parks:
Gregory J. Carter Park
Loretta Hall Park
Gravois Park
Murphy Park
Tilles Park
Ivory Perry Park
O’Fallon Park
Fox Park
Amberg Park
Additionally, free WiFi will be available on the corridor of Martin Luther King Blvd. between Kienlen and Grand, with work scheduled to begin in January of 2025.
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