Cisco and Los Angeles Unveil Public-Private Partnership for Wi-Fi

A public-private partnership between Cisco, the City of Los Angeles, Destination Crenshaw, the California Community Foundation, and Digital Equity LA has unveiled a new community Wi-Fi initiative that will provide free internet access along major streets, parks, and public gathering places in LA’s historic Crenshaw Corridor. The public-private partnership, dubbed the Crenshaw Community Connectivity Pilot, comes after years of collaboration among government, industry, and nonprofits. Wi-Fi access will benefit not only South Los Angeles residents and businesses but also visitors to the city for major events and celebrations. The Los Angeles Bureau of Street Lighting (BSL) installed 1.5 miles of underground fiber optic cable stretching from Leimert Park Plaza to the Hyde Park Metro Station. Building on top of existing city-owned street lighting assets, BSL worked with Cisco to deploy cloud-managed Cisco outdoor access points and Cisco Ultra-Reliable Wireless Backhaul (URWB), enabling the free Wi-Fi at public spaces along the corridor.