Today’s New York Daily News has a story out on how Mayor Bill de Blasio is failing at providing basic internet access for the city’s neediest children in homeless shelters:
Why-Fi?
NYC trying to improve internet access for students in homeless shelters — but won't equip buildings with working WiFihttps://t.co/lF1Qc23L6NMachete-slay victim was too trusting: palshttps://t.co/SVkmGv8mvu
Nearly 25% of MTA workers got COVIDhttps://t.co/3MQMuLX2ZY pic.twitter.com/KP8hZqITcF
— New York Daily News (@NYDailyNews) October 20, 2020
The solution — which is to just equip every building with WiFi which is something that is literally done in every other building in New York City — is not being implemented for some reason:
NYC officials are trying every trick in the book to improve internet access for students living in homeless shelters — except equipping the buildings with working WiFi.https://t.co/Sa2ezPjiht
— New York Daily News (@NYDailyNews) October 20, 2020
The city has been giving out iPads with a cellular connection:
iPads with cell service – don’t work for most students’ educational needs, don’t “work” in cell dead zones, yet cost more than 2x laptops. Who’s money do you think you are spending NYC leaders? Who are you helping? Why was WiFi not in the plan since March? https://t.co/x227Q6xRht
— kimwatkinsnyc (@kimwatkinsnyc) October 20, 2020
But the city chose a cellular provider with dead zones instead of equipping the buildings with WiFi:
NYC students in homeless shelters still can’t get on the internet even after city switches cellular providers: advocates https://t.co/q8gYKcDjuK
— Laura Nahmias (@nahmias) October 20, 2020
The Legal Aid Societ is planning a lawsuit over the failure:
"Without a commitment and specific plan for the city to audit the system and adopt system-wide solutions, we will be forced to take legal action and ask a court to compel City Hall to do so," – @SusanJHorwitz. https://t.co/bYZ6Ilhr5f
— The Legal Aid Society (@LegalAidNYC) October 20, 2020
It’s ludicrous that they haven’t addressed this yet:
"Sometimes it breaks down in the middle of class and we try to get back in and it happens all over again. It is making me fall behind a little bit because I’m trying to do my classwork and out of nowhere the internet is not working," – #AaronMorris, NYC public school student.
— The Legal Aid Society (@LegalAidNYC) October 20, 2020
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