“We are grateful to our community in coming together to leverage collective resources and partnerships so we can ensure all our residents have the access and skills to thrive in a digital society,” said City Manager T.C. Broadnax. “The City of Dallas is proud to be recognized as a finalist for our commitment to equity and accessibility.”  

Operation Connectivity, launched in March 2020, was created with the goal of connecting every household in Dallas County with internet. The Coalition is made up of over 40 organizations including cities, school districts, nonprofits, community colleges and foundations. Through an innovative and fast-moving partnership between the City of Dallas and Dallas Independent School District (Dallas ISD), the initiative was able to expand to include the development of a Digital Equity Strategy Plan, and collaborative and complementary programs to close the internet access gap; including multiple private LTE networks in core Dallas ISD feeder patterns; 10 public Wi-Fi networks utilizing smart light poles; and extension of library Wi-Fi networks into the surrounding area. This example of collaboration and integrated, non-duplicative solutions across public entities has already become a sought-after model for replication. 

“Bridging the digital divide for Dallas residents requires a whole community approach,” said Chief of Equity and Inclusion Liz Cedillo-Pereira. "Prioritization by our policy makers, the availability of federal funds, innovative approaches to pilot projects, and centering those with greatest needs has allowed Dallas to make significant progress toward the goal to provide internet for all. We are grateful to be recognized for these efforts by IDC.”  

As a next step in the nomination process, IDC invites the public to vote on the named finalists at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SCNAA_2021. Voting will be open through 4 p.m. Friday, July 2. 

“Dallas ISD’s long-standing partnership with the City illustrates how anchor institutions can collaborate in developing needed infrastructures and leveraging new technologies to address broadband internet inequities across our community,” said Jack Kelanic, Chief Technology Officer for Dallas ISD. “When we level the playing field, we believe all have an opportunity to succeed and thrive.’’ 

Finalists in the SCNAA illustrate best practice examples of how forward-thinking municipalities are effectively leveraging technology and innovation to offer new services and economic opportunities and to meet the needs and expectations of citizens and residents.   

“We are overwhelmed by the innovative and thoughtful initiatives competing in this year’s Smart Cities North America Awards, executed despite the challenges posed by a global pandemic,” said Ruthbea Yesner, Vice President, IDC Government Insights and Smart Cities and Communities Strategies. “Each finalist represents a best practice example of how -- when innovative technology is paired with a forward thinking and dedicated team -- radical change can happen for the betterment of our residents.” 

Winners will be honored at Smart Cities Connect October 19 to 21 at the Gaylord National Hotel & Convention Center in National Harbor, MD. To learn more about the event, please visit https://fall.smartcitiesconnect.org. For additional information about these awards or to speak with Ruthbea Yesner, please contact Sarah Murray at 781-378-2674 or sarah@attunecommunications.com.  

Description of the Project from the Nomination: 

Success in closing the digital divide long-term can only be achieved via partnerships and steadfast commitment across all sectors during -- and well beyond -- this immediate crisis. Internet for All Coalition’s approach is to co-create win-win-win solutions through long-term partnerships and a robust ecosystem.  

The Coalition’s immediate-term goals were to get connection to every student via hotspot and device distribution, of which over 50,000 have been distributed across the Coalition. In the mid-term, the City of Dallas has initiated public WiFi extensions in 10 locations throughout underconnected ZIP codes, these networks are installed via existing fiber endpoints, with extenders incorporated into ‘smart’ streetlights. These networks are currently in testing pre-launch to the public. Among the Coalition’s long-term strategies include the launch of private LTE networks that extend internet service into the homes of students, utilizing backhaul endpoints and towers at Dallas ISD campuses and leveraging combined infrastructure between the District and the City of Dallas. These private LTE networks are based on a unique partnership between Dallas ISD and the City of Dallas via interlocal agreements. The initial funding model includes shared costs between Dallas ISD and the City of Dallas, philanthropic support, and private sector contributions. These networks provide private/protected access to student households within a 2-mile radius of each campus, with wireless access to the educational network. The five pilot sites were selected based on criterion that considers need, poverty, and the compounding effects of historical inequities by looking at poverty rates, unemployment rates, number of health clinics and libraries.  

This strategy involves building a private network that extends the District’s educational network from a ‘home base’ at a Dallas ISD campus out into the neighborhoods surrounding, providing in-home private network access that is configured to Dallas ISD security protocols. Students (and their families) would be able to log into the network using unique District accounts. The City and District’s intention is to share existing infrastructure wherever possible to minimize project cost and maximize efficiency, and are working together to streamline any required permitting, to the extent possible. 

The RFP for design and development of this pilot network was released in August, and the Coalition received 18 proposals from qualified vendors. Winning vendors were contracted by the Board of Trustees in November, with the first network (Lincoln High School) installed and ‘live’ prior to the end of the calendar year. Construction included the utilization of existing - and development of new - cell towers, radios, repeaters, extension of fiber optic cabling, and in-home transmitters or modems. 

Each private LTE network pilot site can serve up to 600 households with the potential for expansion to more households once the pilot phase is complete. The outcome of each pilot will be to connect at least 200 households with school-aged children to highspeed, reliable internet. Pilot performance will be individually and collectively evaluated. If successful, pilots can be expanded and extended to cover a larger geographic area to serve more households. The network design has been done in such a way that each site can be modular and expandable as desired.  

Pilot success will be measured by the number of households served, speed and performance of the network, and overall cost per household, as compared to other service options in the neighborhood.