LivCom and CMS IP Technologies are excited to announce that the LivCom Lions’ Wi-Fi initiative is live at Matthew’s Street Park. Livingston students will now be able to connect their Chromebooks at any of the park’s facilities.
This effort is a culmination of hard work between the Livingston ISD, Livingston School Board, City of Livingston, Polk County and LivCom. Livingston was recently designated nationally as a NTCA Smart Rural Community as a recognition of its access to LivCom’s state-of-the-art fiber network and a willingness of city leaders to collaborate on technology solutions. This designation provided access to Smart Rural Community Collaboration Grant funds to undertake the Wi-Fi project.
“We are thrilled to be able to bring this technology to Livingston students,” said Jeff Wolf, LivCom General Manager. “Making it easier for students to complete homework and access education is just one of the many ways that LivCom is committed to this community.”
The majority of Livingston ISD homework and assignments are done on Chromebooks and require a connection to the school’s network. Access to the internet is critical for the success of the student.
CMS designed and will monitor the network, while LivCom powers it with a fiber fast connection. Students can simply open their Chromebook and they will automatically be connected.
“Since joining the USConnect family and opening a CMS location in Livingston we have been interested in how we can get involved. Designing this outdoor network in a way that would give students a seamless experience is a great way to use our expertise, along with LivCom’s powerful network, to bring a solution for closing the homework gap,” commented Derek Bell, President of CMS.
Matthew’s Park is only the first phase of the vision. LivCom and CMS plan to activate the Livingston Library next and continue to raise funds to extend the network into Pedigo Park. In addition, local businesses will have an opportunity to participate and advertise their location as a LivCom Lions hotspot.
Wolf said, “Our Livingston Lions will reap the benefits of this partnership with the Livingston business community. Students already visit these businesses and to be able to meet for homework sessions will further the community’s goal.”