The 10-bus fleet provides free Internet access to students who are distance learning due to school closures amid the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. It also allows low-income families who can’t afford broadband to get online for free.
“The 10 ‘WiFi Buses’ are outfitted with combinations of equipment provided free of charge by project partners — Aruba Networks (a subsidiary of HPE), AT&T, Cradlepoint, Sierra Wireless, T-Mobile and Verizon Wireless — to offer free high-speed connectivity with a range of up to 1,800 feet,” says a SacRT news release. “Each bus will provide 3.5 hours of wireless broadband service at two locations each day, for a total of 140 locations each week.”
Sacramento public libraries are designating parking space for the buses and offering extra resources for students.
“High-need locations are selected with input from local school districts, community organizations and digital divide research, as well as the ability for users to maintain physical distancing and follow public health guidelines,” SacRT’s release says.
An app, available on the Apple Store and Android Google Play, was created by Sacramento-based SymSoft, which offered it as a volunteer project.
“The WiFi Bus Sacramento app gives real-time updates on the location and availability of WiFi Buses,” SacRT says. “WiFi Bus Sacramento also has an offline mode that allows users to save map data for future sessions in between connectivity.”
One high-profile backer of the project, Sacramento’s Chief Innovation Officer Louis Stewart, noted the balancing act between opening the resource to the community while maintaining social distancing and taking other precautions related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We’re trying to match up space so that you can do social distancing with service, and that’s not easy to do because if you go too far inside a neighborhood, then the Wi-Fi signal doesn’t go as far as it should,” Stewart told Techwire last month.
