Mayor Mattie Parker, center, and Michael Crain, to the right of her, were among city officials on hand for the launch at Como Community Center.
The city of Fort Worth, Cisco, and Presidio announced a partnership this week on an initiative that will deliver free Wi-Fi access in the Ash Crescent, Lake Como, North Side, Rosemont, and, in the fall, Stop Six neighborhoods.
The joint strategic effort will promote increased digital connectivity and social inclusion, officials say. The network is called “CFW-Neighborhood.”
“Just like power and water, internet is a basic necessity for our communities to be successful,” Mayor Mattie Parker said in a statement. “By implementing CFW Neighborhood Wi-Fi in these five neighborhoods, we are bridging a steep digital divide in parts of our city that need it the most, empowering more residents to complete job applications, do research for schoolwork, attend virtual doctor appointments, complete applications for services, and so much more. This is a huge step in the right direction, and the city is committed to executing on more long-term projects that will increase internet accessibility for more residents.”
Stakeholders gathered at Como Community Center on Tuesday to celebrate the launch.
With deployment scheduled to be completed this fall, the city’s neighborhood Wi-Fi is an extension of the “CFW-Guest” network that is free and currently available at libraries and community centers.
“Access to the internet provides a sense of connectiveness, and our community has that today,” says Leon Reed, a Lake Como Neighborhood Association vice president. “What I’m really proud of is the benefits the children of our community will receive as they will have a real opportunity to advance their education by continuing to learn at home. And I’m also excited about the adults having the opportunity to go online and search and apply for jobs. I’m so proud of the vision of Fort Worth to provide all its citizens the opportunity to enjoy what the world has to offer.”
The lack of connectivity was greatly exposed during the COVID-19 pandemic. With many people working remotely and students attending classes in a virtual setting, the need for reliable Wi-Fi was evident. This implementation also assists Fort Worth residents' ability to access virtual medical appointments, conduct job searches, and apply for social assistance, and government services.
The Fort Worth neighborhood Wi-Fi initiative is an initial three-to-five-year solution to increase Wi-Fi access as part of a broader strategy underway to deliver fiber availability across the city, an investment in which fiber assets can prove beneficial for 30-50 years.
In 2020, the city kicked off an effort to bring free Wi-Fi to some of the neighborhoods most affected by a lack of connectivity. The project began with $5 million in seed money from the CARES Act, and was completed with additional ARPA funds.
The Fort Worth school district also joined the partnership to make the program possible by allowing the city to use school buildings to hold equipment that will originate the signal. CFW Neighborhood Wi-Fi complements the school district’s effort to deliver connectivity to student’s districtwide.
Cisco and Presidio partnered with the city to design an architecture to achieve the highest possible saturation, with neighborhoods ranging from 55% to 90% saturation, deploying Cisco Ultra-Reliable Wireless Backhaul. The five neighborhoods were selected as part of Fort Worth's Neighborhood Improvement Strategy which devotes additional resources to the neighborhoods most in need.
“As business, community, and government leaders, it is incumbent upon us to work together to solve historic digital inequities,” says Gary DePreta, area vice president for state, local governments, and education at Cisco. “Achieving ubiquitous Internet takes a village. The city of Fort Worth's innovation in this area and their commitment to partnering with private sector companies like Cisco and Presidio, the local school district, and the neighborhood associations, showcases the art of the possible when we work together united under the common goal of leaving no one behind.”
