Close to Funding the Juniper Gardens Project
We have successfully installed 70 Wi-Fi radios on almost 40 buildings at Juniper Gardens, a 390 unit low income housing project in Kansas City, Kansas. Located at 3rd and Quindaro, Juniper Gardens is a place where the average household income is half the average of the rest of the state and where the crime rate is four times the national average.
We are working to bring free broadband Wi-Fi to every family at the complex, nearly 1,000 people a majority of whom are children under 18 years old. We just know that having Internet connectivity will absolutely transform this under resourced neighborhood.
Though we have constructed a four block wide “hotspot,” without the funds to install the remaining high gain antennas, we will not be able to provide the access speeds that we know this network is capable of, up to 20 Mbps. Adding the 9db antennas to the radio units increases their bandwidth output nearly 10 times. This will bring true broadband Internet access to all 400 families who call Juniper Gardens home, in every room of every apartment.
Already with 11 of these upgraded antennas installed. over 500 devices have connected to the network in the past month. Of those, 38 Kansas City, Ks High School issued laptops have used this network. About half of the devices are smart phones. We see approximately 100 to 150 devices daily. With the rest of the antennas installed, the network will totally cover the entire complex, resulting in a greatly increased usage. In May, we will begin conducting regular digital life skills classes on-site at Juniper Gardens and offering residents there $50 refurbished laptop computers.
The sixty remaining antennas we need cost about $100 a peace.
Thanks to all who made a donation on Neighbor.ly! We now have $5,105.00 left of the total amount of $39,625 that we need to raise.
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Juniper Gardens Project Nears Completion
In March we embarked on a project to build a free broadband Wi-Fi network at Juniper Gardens, the oldest and largest public housing project in the state of Kansas.
We are pleased to announce that we met the March 31st installation deadline in order to receive a $15,000 equipment donation from One Economy Corporation! We did it by installing nearly 70 wireless radios on forty buildings at the complex, creating a four block wide “hotspot.”
We have just one final piece to the puzzle – the high power antennas needed to ensure complete cable Internet-equivalent speed to every household at Juniper Gardens. Adding the 9db antennas to the radio units increases their bandwidth output nearly 10 times. This will bring true broadband Internet access to all 400 families who call Juniper Gardens home, in every room of every apartment.
At the same time, we have drawn closer to our fund raising goal for the project. We just need the final $6,595 to purchase these antennas and the project will be completed. Once everyone at Juniper Gardens can get online, our team of trainers will begin regular digital life skills classes on-site at the complex. And, we will be offering families there a chance to get an Internet-ready computer for just $50.00.
| Updated Budget | |
| 75 Wi-Fi transmitters ($200 ea.) | $15,000 |
| Install 70 Wi-Fi transmitters ($120 ea.) | $8,400 |
| 70 high gain antennas (97.50 ea.) | $6,825 |
| 12 months of Internet service | $7,800 |
| Miscellaneous materials | $1,600 |
| Total | $39,625 |
| Grants and cash gifts | -$33,030 |
| Total left to raise | $6,595 |
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Juniper Gardens Free Wi-Fi Project Update
We announced earlier this month that we have partnered with the Kansas City Kansas Housing Authority to bring free in-home Wi-Fi to all 390 units at their Juniper Gardens low income housing project. Along with bringing free Internet to nearly 1,000 people that live there, we are also offering inexpensive refurbished laptops and digital life skills training.
In order to receive the equipment donation from One Economy Corporation, we had to agree to make sure the network was operational by March 31. So, in order to meet the deadline have begun installing the Wi-Fi radios as we continue to raise the funds to complete the project. A film crew from KCTV5 had a chance to visit with our staff members as they were working at Juniper Gardens.
We are excited to have received some funding toward the project in the last few days, including a $1,000 donation from Arvest Bank. Here is what we have left to raise:
| Project Budget | |
| 75 Wi-Fi transmitters ($200 ea.) | $15,000 |
| Install 70 Wi-Fi transmitters ($120 ea.) | $8,400 |
| 70 high gain antennas (97.50 ea.) | $6,825 |
| 12 months of Internet service | $7,800 |
| Miscellaneous materials | $1,600 |
| Total | $39,625 |
| Grants and cash gifts | -$26,100 |
| Total left to raise | $13,525 |
When completed, the Juniper Gardens Wi-Fi network will cover nearly four city blocks and reach into 40 buildings, bringing free in-home Internet to 1,000 residents.
YOUR HELP IS NEEDED! Make a donation to this project on Neighbor.ly