On September 8, 2021, the Lockland Local School District was named a 2021 Wi-Fi At Work Award by WifiForward, a coalition of companies, organizations, and public sector institutions working to keep communities connected over the internet. WifiForward’s Wi-Fi At Work Awards recognize organizations that have kept communities connected via Wi-Fi during this time.
Lockland Local School District was specifically recognized for working collaboratively with local municipalities, Cincinnati Bell Technology, state, and federal agencies, and the local community to increase the fiber build within the villages that the district serves, installation of cabling, and a total of fifteen high-speed internet access points for all to use. Phase I of the project was launched in December of 2020 and through the end of June 2021, the project resulted in almost 28,000 Wi-Fi sessions with over 1800 registered users. The locations of the access points include district and village-owned properties, parks, commercial and residential properties, densely populated apartment complexes, and non-profit/faith-based organizations.
Lockland Local Schools is once again working to increase Wi-Fi accessibility within the communities they serve by embarking on Phase II of this important work. Phase II will include an additional fiber build in the business district of Lockland, cabling, and access point installation for an additional 60 locations! The school district has once again partnered with Cincinnati Bell, local, state, and federal government agencies to accomplish this work.
WiFiForward awarded a total of 16 awards nationwide.
“In Lockland Local Schools, we recognize that Wi-Fi is no longer a luxury, but rather a lifeline. We are encouraged by the increased accessibility to high-speed internet for our students, families, and residents of the communities that we serve. Increased WiFi allows us to close the digital equity and homework gap within our schools and allows adults in the community the access that they deserve to seek advanced employment and educational opportunities to better their lives.” - Bob Longworth, Superintendent of Lockland Local Schools.
“Wi-Fi is a literal lifeline,” said Ellen Satterwhite, spokesperson for WifiForward. “So many organizations found creative ways to bring this lifeline to more people when they needed it most. These Wi-Fi At Work Awards recognize these remarkable organizations. On behalf of all our coalition members, we are pleased to honor this vital work to connect our communities.”
In the past year, COVID-19 completely transformed our way of life, from how we work to how we go to school and everything in between. Wi-Fi has emerged as an essential service for all Americans, allowing millions of Americans to sustain jobs, drive business, keep students educated and maintain social bonds amidst a once-in-a-generation pandemic.
About WifiForward WifiForward is an ad hoc, broad-based group of companies, organizations, and public sector institutions working to alleviate the Wi-Fi spectrum crunch and to support making Wi-Fi even better by finding more unlicensed spectrum. For more information on WifiForward including a full list of coalition members, visit the website at www.wififorward.org.