First Financial Foundation: Helping Make Village Wi-Fi a Reality
In mid-July 2023, the first phase of the Village of Lincoln Heights’s public Wi-Fi system will go live. This system – and all the important benefits of it – would not be possible without the help of the First Financial Foundation.
The Foundation was created in 2017 to support programs and organizations that enhance and develop the communities in which First Financial Bank does business. Helping make the Village’s wi-fi a reality certainly fits into that mission.
Providing broadband access to Village residents is an infrastructure need every bit as important as paving streets and providing law enforcement. Research shows that communities lacking broadband may have difficulty attracting businesses and deprives residents of educational and economic opportunities, putting them at risk of negative health outcomes.
The Village’s Wi-Fi system will have two immediate positive impacts. Residents will reap the educational and social benefits of internet connectivity and begin developing the digital skills increasingly demanded by employers. And the Village will have a competitive advantage in attracting and retaining residents, jobs, and businesses.
The first phase of the Village’s public Wi-Fi will cover the northeast corner of the Village, where many children and families live. Future phases will cover the rest of the Village.
The Village of Lincoln Heights owes a debt of gratitude to the First Financial Foundation for helping make this critical infrastructure a reality.