Cisco Canada has partnered with the city of Toronto to expand Wi-Fi access in some vulnerable communities.
The two have launched the ‘Digital Canopy’ project, which is an investment of more than $1 million of technology and services to help residents living in low-income residential tower communities.
“Cisco’s Toronto Innovation Labs and the city brought together network providers, internet service providers and managed service providers to make Digital Canopy a reality and deliver wireless internet access to some of Toronto’s most vulnerable communities,” Cisco outlined in a press release.
Cisco and the city have partnered with Bell, BAI Canada, OnX Canada, Beanfield Metroconnect, Toronto Mesh, Century Concrete Products and Southwinds Engineering to make the project possible.
The first site is now live at 200 and 210 Woolner Avenue and is providing internet access for approximately 2,000 residents in the Rockcliffe-Smythe community. Additional sites will go live in several other communities including Thorncliffe Park, West Hill and Scarborough Village.
Cisco outlines that there will be 25 hotspots set up across the city by the end of the year, and that Digital Canopy has the potential to connect 6,600 units and around 13,000 Torontonians living in low-income areas.
Digital Canopy’s free Wi-Fi hotspots aim to enable people who may not have reliable internet at home to access online resources for school, work and crucial medical and social support.
Source: Cisco Canada
