Even though many technology companies have their headquarters located in the DFW area, a 2019 Dallas Federal Reserve Bank Report found 42% of households in the city lack a fixed internet connection, making Dallas the least connected city of its size in the country. The COVID-19 pandemic only deepened the impact of the pre-existing inequality between Dallas’s most and least connected families and individuals.

The Office of Resilience, Park and Recreation, Information Technology Services and library departments of the City of Dallas collaborated to bring wifi connections and devices to the residents of Dallas. City park and library locations were equipped with Wifi extenders in key neighborhoods. The library trained the City of Dallas digital navigators on digital literacy tool kits and learning resources to prepare them for the field.

Thousands of residents were connected to the internet and devices through the City of Dallas program. Funding provided by both grants and City Council, the library has been able to purchase 3,000 Wi-Fi hotspots, 1,500 laptops and 222 Chromebooks which are available for residents to checkout. The library has also installed Wi-Fi in the parking lots of four library branches located in areas of Dallas with the worst internet connectivity.