San Francisco Partnership to Increase Free Internet Access to Support Distance Learning

Mayor London Breed announced a partnership between the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) and national nonprofit organizations EducationSuperHighway and the 1Million Project Foundation to provide connectivity support for thousands of students in San Francisco who lack home internet access, including the deployment of up to 25 WiFi “SuperSpots.” As part of the new Digital Bridge project, the SuperSpots will be installed in locations to serve students from underserved communities who need to participate in distance learning due to COVID-19 and related school closures. Additionally, the City is working to secure and deploy additional WiFi hotspots, which will complement the 25 new SuperSpots and the existing free, high-speed internet provided to low-income residents through San Francisco’s Fiber to Housing program. The 25 SuperSpot devices will be located in areas of highest need, including public housing sites, single-room occupancy buildings, community centers, and other neighborhood locations where there is a concentrated population of students lacking internet connectivity. SFUSD, the Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development, and the San Francisco Housing Authority will identify locations for the units, and they will be deployed the week of April 13^th in time for the beginning of SFUSD Distance Learning. Each SuperSpot will provide internet access for 100 users and is powered by the Sprint Network. The SuperSpot equipment, installation, and operating costs are fully covered by philanthropic funding from the 1Million Project Foundation and EducationSuperHighway, and will remain in place for the remainder of the school year. In addition to the SuperSpot devices, the partnership will explore other low-cost options for delivering home internet access to students.