English: Picture taken from the Liberty Memorial in Kansas City, MO. High Resolution. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
KANSAS CITY, Mo., May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ — Following the 2016 Gigabit City Summit, Siklu Communications, Ltd, the Urban Neighborhood Initiative (UNI), KC Digital Drive, Next Century Cities and a host of other partners are excited to announce an innovative project to bring gigabit Internet speeds to local residents and institutions in the UNI footprint and in the city’s historic East Side. Using hybrid fiber-wireless technologies – connecting to the existing fiber backbone provided by KC Web – this project will bring wireless gigabit service to the community beginning this May.
This project is a continuation of Siklu’s commitment to bring communities online and, the partnership with KC Digital Drive and UNI will help revitalize the east side of the city. Consistent with Kansas City’s innovative approach to piloting multiple fiber solutions in search of the right fit for every neighborhood, the coalition is exploring how Millimeter Wave (mmWave) wireless technology can effectively supplement wireline connectivity. This technology extends the reach of existing fiber and will bring gigabit services to some of Kansas City’s oldest buildings and underserved communities.
The project will provide free service to some homes, even where wireline is available, to help serve as an onramp to the Internet by eliminating a cost barrier to getting online. The project will also provide immediate connectivity to some underserved buildings and locations while creating a sense of community ownership over the network. Critically, the project will teach members of the community how to install and maintain the network, building skills and leading to job opportunities in a growing field.
“We believe that connectivity helps empower communities and lets Kansas City continue our growth as a gigabit leader,” saidDianne Cleaver, executive director of UNI. “While blessed with an abundance of fiber, even throughout the east side, we still face barriers to connecting individual homes and critical community anchors. Siklu’s technology will provide affordable gigabit connections throughout the UNI area, including the 95-year-old Historic Lincoln Building, the Mutual Musicians Foundation, several churches and the Ivanhoe Neighborhood Alliance among other sites.”
