Free Wi-Fi headed to Phoenix school districts to help end digital divide

PHOENIX — The digital divide is an old problem that requires a new – and permanent – solution. The divide, which refers to the gap between people who have access to modern information and communications technology and those who don’t, hinders education for millions of students lacking internet access. The pandemic made this divide far more visible.

But an initiative funded by the 2020 CARES Act will help Phoenix schools bridge the divide, and it might pave the way for a nationwide fix.

Phoenix, Phoenix College and Phoenix Union High School District have teamed up to create the Phoenix Digital Education Connection Canopy, a broadband network designed to provide free Wi-Fi to 250,000 families who have students in 13 Phoenix districts.