The WiFi Bus Pilot Comes to an End

July 1, 2020 SacRT in Community

SacRT teamed up with the California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA) and the City of Sacramento to equip buses with free wireless hotspots in communities with limited high-speed internet access during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The pilot project started on May 4, 2020 and ran for 60 days.

The 10 “WiFi Buses” were outfitted with combinations of equipment provided free of charge by project partners: Aruba, AT&T, Cradlepoint, Sierra Wireless, T-Mobile and Verizon Wireless to offer free high-speed connectivity with a range of up to 1,800 feet. Each bus provided 3.5 hours of wireless broadband service at two locations each day, for a total of 140 locations each week.

Governor Gavin Newsom announced the project on April 20 as part of the state’s efforts to support distance learning and close the digital divide during the COVID-19 pandemic. Approximately one in five students in California lack high-speed internet access and nearly half of all low-income households in the state do not have broadband service at home.

Learn more about the WiFi Bus project, view the WiFi Bus Playbook.