SOUTH TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — South Tucson leaders are in the early stages of exploring a free community Wi-Fi initiative that could help people and businesses stay connected.
For many people, getting online is part of everyday life. Whether it’s working remotely, finishing homework or running a business—but it’s not the same case for everybody.
"That is something that is largely inaccessible to lower income folks simply because of that—because you don't have Wi-Fi at home," said South Tucson Acting Mayor Pablo Robles.
Robles said the idea came from previous discussions about city technology and infrastructure improvements, specifically after the city ended its Flock camera contract.
"One of the things that did come up in those discussions was that if we were to set up a CCTV network, we would need to set up Wi-Fi throughout the city," Robles said.
From there, city leaders connected with a South Tucsonan experienced in setting up rural Wi-Fi systems. The city is now considering several options, including one that would rely on community participation, with equipment mounted on poles to connect the Wi-Fi system.
"It would require the community members that agree or the businesses that agree to more or less donate a portion of their bandwidth or donate a portion of their speeds to the greater community network," Robles said.
Robles said the initiative could benefit students and families who currently depend on libraries or other public spaces to get online.
"While I am so grateful for our public libraries as a resource and for everything they do, I think that if we can give kids that step up so that they can have Internet at home, why wouldn't we?" Robles said.
Council members unanimously agreed to continue exploring the idea, though no option has been decided yet.
"I'm excited to hopefully have this running by—tentatively this summer," Robles said.
Robles said the proposal is still in the early stages, but he believes expanding Internet access could help close the digital gap for people who live in South Tucson. I'll keep you updated as I follow this development.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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Jacqueline Aguilar is a multimedia journalist at KGUN 9. Born and raised in Yuma, AZ., she is no stranger to the unforgiving Arizona heat. Now this U of A wildcat is excited to be back in Tucson and is looking forward to involving herself in the community. Share your story ideas with Jacqueline by emailing jacqueline.aguilar@kgun9.com or connecting on Facebook, Instagram or X.
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