Our recreation and Park Department as well as our department of technology, and i want to thank all of those involved. This project started a little over two years ago with a conversation i had with an old family friend from google. And i want to take a moment to thank the entire google team that worked on this project. Its been two years, so, its touched a lot of desks and had a lot of approvals and in particular want to thank Veronika Bell who is here from google for stepping p. Up. Google is providing a financial gift of 600,000 to turn this into a reality. This is with the recreation and Park Department. I want to thank Phil Ginsberg, katy, so many people from the rec and park team that really brought this project forward. We selected locations throughout San Francisco on a number of levels. First of all, we wanted to make sure that we continue to bridge our Digital Divide that exists not only throughout our country, but here in San Francisco, to place Free Wifi Networks in under s
Department as well as our department of technology, and i want to thank all of those involved. This project started a little over two years ago with a conversation i had with an old family friend from google. And i want to take a moment to thank the entire google team that worked on this project. Its been two years, so, its touched a lot of desks and had a lot of approvals and in particular want to thank Veronika Bell who is here from google for stepping p. Up. Google is providing a financial gift of 600,000 to turn this into a reality. This is with the recreation and Park Department. I want to thank Phil Ginsberg, katy, so many people from the rec and park team that really brought this project forward. We selected locations throughout San Francisco on a number of levels. First of all, we wanted to make sure that we continue to bridge our Digital Divide that exists not only throughout our country, but here in San Francisco, to place Free Wifi Networks in under served communities and ac
Capital of the world, but were behind in many ways and we need to catch up. We need to do more, but sometimes the funding wasnt there and it costs more than we think and were trying to figure things out and trying to get as modern as fast as we can. And this is where i think that relationship with the private sector, particularly with our technology and Innovative Companies in San Francisco is so important to us, that we gain a knowledge and a confidence that we can improve City Government services, and also at the same time when we get wifi here, not only will the kids that play and visit here and utilize the services here will they have a better experience, but our seniors, people who dont have access at home will come here and visit. Theyll take advantage of it as well. And this is why the list of 31 sites that youve been given are really important because they represent a lot of communities where if we just concentrated on the things we know about, they would not get the service, i
The project manager here who are going to oversee the installation of this project. And i want to thank in particular alex turk for his leadership during this effort. I certainly want to thank our department of technology and its new leader mark tuitu for also stepping up to the plate. Mark is such a visionary and i think we have years of great things to come out of our department of technology and this is just the first step. And lastly i want to thank my staff and in particular wherever margo is, mar cokelly. Margo kelly. Margo spent the last two years quarterbacking this project. She spent so many hours of her life dedicate today bringing this to the residents of San Francisco and we shall all be incredibly thankful. The benefits of free wifi in San Francisco are many. Not only will it further open up our parks and our city to innovation, to education, and includetionthv i. For all San Francisco residents, but its also as i mentioned before a significant step towards bridging our Di
Wireless connected to our fiber. Were learning that. Were learning that our fine and some of the backbones that weve always had to depend on can be improved on. I have to admit, the new director will also tell you we are behind. I call our selfthe Innovation Capital of the world, but were behind in many ways and we need to catch up. We need to do more, but sometimes the funding wasnt there and it costs more than we think and were trying to figure things out and trying to get as modern as fast as we can. And this is where i think that relationship with the private sector, particularly with our technology and Innovative Companies in San Francisco is so important to us, that we gain a knowledge and a confidence that we can improve City Government services, and also at the same time when we get wifi here, not only will the kids that play and visit here and utilize the services here will they have a better experience, but our seniors, people who dont have access at home will come here and v