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SALT LAKE CITY — Citing the need for more equity in the digital world, Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall announced Monday an expansion of a program aimed at providing internet availability to city residents often with less access to it.
“We can’t overlook the power of digital equity,” she said, during a press conference. “It is a necessity for people to fully participate in our society.”
The city launched a pilot program earlier this month that provided residents in the Rose Park neighborhood with access to computers at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints meetinghouse located at 760 N. 1200 West. The hours were Monday and Wednesday morning and Tuesday and Thursday evenings.
The expansion provides more access to computers and the internet for residents across the western portion of the city. Residents will have 45-minute session access to six computers at the Sorenson Unity Center, 1383 S. 900 West, four days of the week. Free access of the center’s Wi-Fi will also be extended throughout the public grounds of the center from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily, Mendenhall said.
The September hours for 10 Rose Park computers are 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Mondays; 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. The September hours for the Sorenson Unity Center lab are noon to 5:30 p.m. on Mondays and Tuesdays, and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Wednesdays and Thursdays.
Salt Lake City launched the Rose Park service with the intention of giving residents without internet or computer access the ability to handle any online needs, such as paying bills, registering to vote, completing homework, finding a COVID-19 testing location or even filling out the 2020 Census. Mendenhall said it’s “quickly proven to be a valuable community resource” in the first few weeks since its launch.
“These endeavors will have a strong impact, a powerful impact for those who do not have Wi-Fi access at their homes. So much of our day-to-day lives rely on the internet,” she said. “Today’s announcements are exciting but they are really the beginning steps for Salt Lake City in our long-term and ongoing effort to connect more people to Wi-Fi.”
The mayor added there are “bigger efforts” in the city’s future.
For example, the mayor’s office unveiled a $75,000 proposal to the Salt Lake City Council last week for “a first of its kind” Wi-Fi system. Mendenhall said it would “enable a multi-point solution for public Wi-Fi and create a greater connection of areas in the city experiencing digital inequity.”
