The city of Little Rock will provide free Wi-Fi to the public at a series of city parks and community centers, Mayor Frank Scott Jr. announced Tuesday.
Sixteen pavilions at seven city parks have been outfitted to provide Wi-Fi access, or will be outfitted soon, so residents can access high-speed wireless internet, officials said.
Additionally, five community centers south of Interstate 630 have been equipped with Wi-Fi.
During a news conference Tuesday afternoon at a pavilion in War Memorial Park, Scott noted the increased usage of city parks as a consequence of the covid-19 pandemic. He described the Wi-Fi initiative as an effort to close "our digital divide" with regard to high-speed Internet access.
"It's not just a rural issue, it's also an urban issue right here in the state's capital city," Scott said.
The mayor said some of the most at-risk students at Little Rock schools still face digital issues, "and we don't want to leave anything to chance for our children," Scott added.
The city's chief education officer, Jay Barth, told reporters that pavilions will be used as a station for the broadband but that access will be available "a number of feet" beyond each pavilion.
In the coming months, Barth said the Internet-equipped pavilions could be used by students attending virtual classes or by residents simply visiting the parks for social interaction.
The open-air pavilions allow for social distancing, Barth said, creating the opportunity for small groups to congregate while still having Internet access.
The parks where Wi-Fi has been installed are War Memorial, Morehart, Wakefield, Fletcher, Boyle and Hindman.
Wireless Internet access is already available at two city parks, Riverfront and MacArthur, according to Barth. Wi-Fi at Murray Park is expected to come online after the New Year, Barth said.
The five community centers where Wi-Fi has been installed are the Centre at University Park, Dunbar Community Center, Stephens Community Center, Southwest Community Center and West Central Community Center.
Barth said the Wi-Fi access will require some ongoing costs in the city budget, and the initial investment in the public Wi-Fi access points was offset by reimbursement from the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act used for personnel costs during the installation process.
The mayor suggested more work remains to be done in order to provide access to high-speed Internet in residents' homes as the covid-19 outbreak continues.
"Even though we're providing this solution here, we still have to advocate for more affordable and accessible high-speed Internet in homes," Scott said, "because we know, at least for the foreseeable future, education and work is going to be a bit different for the next six months as we kind of get through covid-19."