Should Public Housing Authorities provide free Wifi to children during the Covid-19 Pandemic so they can keep up with school work?
Regardless of your thoughts about free Wifi, it is a very hot topic right now. The concern is making sure that children in public housing don't fall behind, while many schools are having students finish this school year working remotely. This is a very real issue and one that deserves some attention. However, it is a complex issue.
There are many things to consider before starting a wifi project, such as:
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Funding - Initial cost, but also the on-going cost of providing and maintaining these connections.
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Long term vs short term - Are you looking for a short term solution for the next few months or are you wanting to build a more permanent solution?
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Physical Layout - Are your units close together or spread out? This can greatly impact the price of equipment, cabling and maintenance.
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Central Location vs Property Access - Most of the time it makes more sense to provide a guest wifi connection inside of a designated location such as a community center, learning center or other common area. Given the issues with the Corona Virus, you must have a way to disinfect the area and enforce social distancing for safety of the users.
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Bandwidth - How much internet speed can you get? You need a good, stable internet and plenty of it, if you are going to setup a guest wifi. Many places have very limited choices for internet service and it can be quite slow.
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Security - Guest wifi should always be separated from the network in your business office. There are a variety of ways of accomplishing this, but it must be configured correctly in order for the office information to remain secure and so that the users of the guest network can also be safe from other users.
I have seen some communities come up with some very creative ways to provide wifi to students during the Covid-19 crisis. There are many ways to do it and all of the ways have their own complications. We will glad to help any housing authority that is trying to solve this problem and needs help navigating the potential issues.
Please contact me if you are considering a wifi project. There is much more involved than just plugging in a wireless router and giving out the password. We are here to help guide you.
Ultimate It Guys has been the Cameron Housing Authority’s IT company since 2017. I couldn’t ask for a better one. The staff is quick to help & very professional. They will work with you until your problem has been solved. We will definitely use them in the future.
Julie Ausmus
Executive Director
Cameron MO Housing Authority
The Nevada Housing Authority has been doing business with Ultimate IT Guys since June 2016. Prior to that time, we struggled with good tech support and did not have anyone in house capable of taking on that responsibility. We have had a very positive experience with Ultimate IT Guys and their tech support staff.
They make themselves available anytime for the support and training needed and keep us with the most recent updates. I have enjoyed the webinars and now have access for myself and the staff to those webinars that we miss. The value for the service provided by Ultimate IT Guys is worth a look at for your agency. You will find them customer service driven, have the ability to problem solve and easy to communicate with.
Carol Branham Executive Director
Housing Authority of the City of Nevada MO
Just sending a "thank you" for the webinar last Thursday..lots of useful information about passwords that I needed and I appreciate it very much!
Sharon Wright
Executive Director
Avinger TX Housing Authority
Hi I am Joan Wright, I am the Executive Director at McGregor Housing Authority. I have been with Ultimate IT Guys since 2017.
We are from a small community and we just don’t have much for computer support in this area. I met him at Texas Housing Association and he has done a wonderful job for us. His service is 24/7, all I have to do is pick up a phone and call him. One of his support staff is always happy to work with us. I have all my faith in Ultimate IT Guys they do a wonderful job.
Joan Wright
Executive Director
McGregor Housing Authority
We have been very pleased and impressed with the services and product advice we have received from Ultimate IT Guys.
They provided a big picture view of our business risk, then broke it down into actionable details through the assessments and the reports they provided to us. All very professional and informative but still in layman's language in a way that anyone can understand it.
Mike Chapman
Executive Director
Lubbock TX Housing Authority
Ultimate IT Guys have truly been a big help to Trinidad Housing Authority for the past 5 years. From keeping our computer systems up to date and virus free, to their excellent customer service. When we have an issue with our computer software or hardware, there is never a wait and they are always there to help, and at very reasonable prices.
Teresa Crawford
Trinidad Housing Authority
Trinidad Texas
I highly recommend the Ultimate IT Guys to anyone who needs IT support services. They have consistently given us excellent service at a reasonable price.
They know the needs of PHA’s, and are particularly well suited to filling the IT needs of housing authorities who are not large enough to have their own in-house staff. They can do virtually all the work they need to do remotely, so there is no waiting for an IT tech to show up. Our experience with The Ultimate IT Guys has all been positive, they have been a pleasure to do business with!
Don Eaves
Executive Director
Overton Texas Housing Authority
I am very pleased with the service Mr. Davis and his team at Ultimate IT Guys provide. He is professional, thorough, and supports our industry with a high degree of integrity. He is available and has always helped me with IT problems in a timely manner. I feel I am very knowledgeable about technology and could do some of the same tasks Mr. Davis performs, however it is beneficial to me that my staff can call him with issues so we can be more productive and focus on housing needs instead of computer/technology related issues and back-ups.
I would highly recommend Mr. Davis and his company.
Thank you,
Kimberly Gholson
Executive Director
Waurika Housing Authority
It is with great pleasure that I have the opportunity to recommend Ultimate IT Guys for your IT Services. They been working with our agency since 2013 as our IT Technicians.
They are not only dependable, but also willing to take the time to discuss our concerns and respond to our questions in a timely manner. Their services and pricing are the best in the market. They are a great company to work with and I give my highest recommendation.
If you would like to ask me specific questions about their service, contact me at 281-427-6686 X 11.
Joyce Young
Executive Director
Baytown Housing Authority
Baytown, TX