The city is in the early planning stage of a roughly yearlong process to create a web of about two dozen Wi-Fi nodes in Parramore, which would bring connectivity to several blocks of the neighborhood west of Interstate 4.
Parramore — which spans Colonial Drive south to Gore Street between Hughey Avenue and Orange Blossom Trail — covers a few U.S. Census blocks or segments of a region. In the most recent census, about 53% of respondents in one portion reported having no internet at home. Even those with home web access may not have unlimited data plans.
With Parramore residents reporting a median income well below the county average of about $69,000, city officials suspect economics are a key factor.
“A lot of organizations are moving into virtual, whether it’s doctor visits or applications for things like food stamps and Social Security,” said Commissioner Shan Rose said, whose district includes Parramore. “Imagine the individuals who have to choose between the internet and keeping food on the table?”
City commissioners are set to vote Monday on $123,000 in planning costs for the network, which could include nodes installed on bus stops and light poles as well as solar-powered picnic tables that have internet capabilities. Additional installation costs and costs from a service provider will come later.
Government agencies have renewed efforts to bridge the so-called digital divide in recent years — with $25 billion from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 set aside for broadband and high-speed internet initiatives. That money flowed down to states, cities and counties.
For example, this Orlando effort is funded through its Accelerate Orlando account — created with its $58 million allotment from the federal legislation. While the vast majority of the account was created to fund affordable housing and homelessness initiatives — about $2 million was budgeted for broadband programs.
Last year, Orange County connected more than 1,300 properties in Bithlo, Christmas and South Apopka to high-speed internet using a portion of its share of the federal money.
Those Orlando and county initiatives spotlight two of the key reasons why about 20% of Americans don’t have internet access: lack of infrastructure (mostly in rural areas) or economic reasons.
“Very rarely in the City of Orlando would it be an infrastructure issue,” said Mike Hess, Orlando’s Sustainability and Resilience director. “It really does come down to the affordability.”
The Parramore census tract has the city’s highest rate of people without internet. The median age of the 757 residents is about 55 years old, with a median household income of about $14,000, census data shows.
Tasha Robinson-Banks said she saw the so-called digital divide in 2020 during the pandemic, when schools were closed and kids had to take virtual classes. Banks, who is senior service director at the Levy-Hughes Clubhouse of Boys and Girls Clubs of Central Florida, said many of the 165 children it serves daily in the Parramore area don’t have internet access. Many of them rely on their time at the clubhouse to do their schoolwork.
“Oftentimes our kids rely on different spots around Parramore to get Wi-Fi,” she said. “You might not have it at home, but at the Subway they have it.”
Demarcus Oliver, 33, grew up in Parramore and moved back two years ago. While he said has internet included in his Creative Village apartment, he suspects the city’s plan could be hugely beneficial for residents and those experiencing homelessness in the area.
“I think it’d be an amazing thing,” Oliver said.
The city’s plan will increase free Wi-Fi but the network won’t necessarily connect to homes, Hess said. But residents will be able to connect outside much more easily — either right outside their homes or a short walk from their front doors.
Alongside that, the city is preparing to relaunch a program out of its neighborhood centers that allows residents to check out Wi-Fi hotspots to take home, to further bolster access. It recently had a one-year pilot, which allowed residents to check out hotspots and tablets for free for two weeks at a time.
“It’s not going to be a network where every square inch of Parramore will be covered by Wi-Fi,” Hess said. “Our vision is if you live in Parramore, right outside your house or nearby you have access to Wi-Fi.”
© 2025 Orlando Sentinel. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
