Using a combination of city and federal funds, including funding from the American Rescue Plan, Phoenix launched an initiative to connect 250,000 families to high-speed internet.
The Phoenix Digital Education Connection Canopy, or PHX DECC, launched on September 1, 2021. Alhambra Elementary, Cartwright Elementary and Phoenix Union High School are the first schools to benefit from the program, according to KJZZ. The innovative wireless solution uses existing technology, rather than reinventing the wheel, to enable schools to provide internet to some of Phoenix’s underserved communities.
“Children will no longer need to sit in library parking lots or coffee shops to access high-speed broadband to do their homework,” Councilmember Laura Pastor said in a statement. Mayor Kate Gallego called PHX DECC a “cost-effective, collaborative, digital divide solution we’re proud to champion.”
The city also worked to bringing highs-speed to help small businesses. The city is offering grants ranging from $3,000 to $10,000 to businesses that have been hit hardest by the pandemic. As of December 2021, 115 such grants had been awarded.