Words by Jenny Lynn Davis | Image by Al Blanton
On Monday, January 15, 2024, The City of Jasper announced via Facebook that the Connected Jasper project is officially underway as workers began electrical installation.
During their regular meeting on May 2, 2023, the Jasper City Council approved a resolution authorizing Mayor David O’Mary to enter into an agreement with Alabama Power Company for the implementation of Connected Jasper, a public Wi-Fi deployment project.
This initiative aims to provide free and widespread public Wi-Fi to the city, with an estimated 68 access points throughout the downtown area, including five local Housing Authority locations, the Jasper Public Library, and three schools within the Jasper City system. The project is a partnership between the City of Jasper, Tengo Internet, and Alabama Power, and is funded through a $1.6 million grant from the United States Department of the Interior and the Alabama Department of Labor.
The grant, secured by Alabama Power, covers the installation of the network, and does not require the City of Jasper to make any capital outlay. However, as per the approved agreement, the city will be responsible for the payment of electricity and service costs related to the project. The network is designed to accommodate up to 500 devices simultaneously, and the project partners anticipate that over 800 users will log on to the network each month.
Following the announcement last year, O’Mary told meeting attendees, “Through the City’s relationship with Alabama Power Company, we are excited to announce this project, which will allow the city to connect with the new digital economy, which is the way of the future.” WL
