Inside the push to bring better internet to Chinatown
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Storefronts in San Francisco's Chinatown will have access to free public WiFi under a new city-led initiative. Photo: Robert Alexander via Getty Images
A decade-long effort to bridge the digital divide in San Francisco's Chinatown is finally seeing momentum as the city seeks to streamline internet access for lower-income communities.
Why it matters: More than half of households in Chinatown, where almost a third of people live below the poverty line, lack access to reliable high-speed internet, according to the mayor's office.
Driving the news: San Francisco is officially expanding its free public WiFi network, named #SFWiFi, to Chinatown.
- The city activated the network earlier this month at the Dragon's Gate, in St. Mary's Square and along Grant Avenue between Broadway and Pacific Avenue.
- The Department of Technology will connect the rest of the neighborhood throughout the next year.
What they're saying: Expanding free public WiFi will enable traditionally cash-only vendors to set up tap-to-pay transactions and engage online with customers without worrying about connectivity, said Chinatown Community Development Center (CCDC) director of programs Jennifer Chan.
- Reliable internet could also help bring new life to commercial corridors that are struggling to recover from pandemic-era declines in foot traffic and recent tariffs on China, Chan told Axios.
Yes, but: Both Chan and Anisha Hingorani, policy manager at advocacy group Chinese for Affirmative Action (CAA), warned that it's not a long-term solution.
- "In-home fiber is really what is going to make a difference," said Hingorani, whose 2024 study found that AT&T charges high-poverty and low-poverty addresses in San Francisco the same amount despite providing slower plans for the former.
- Fiber requires professional installation in a residence, making it a costly and time-consuming process, but is faster and more reliable than WiFi and cable internet.
- "Chinatown deserves the same access … as the rest of the city," Hingorani said.
State of play: Community organizations have long advocated for the city to address disparities in connectivity, Chan told Axios.
- Chinatown's aging buildings, dense development and lack of in-language technical support all contribute to its status as an internet desert.
- Issues with permitting and access point locations can especially hinder infrastructure upgrades.
What we're watching: The city is working to install a fiber optic network in Chinatown that will allow affordable housing residents to access in-home high-speed internet through its Fiber to Housing program.
- "Remote working, studying in school, telehealth ... talking to your family members. ... You're not going to be able to use the public WiFi to be able to do any of those things when you're inside your building," Hingorani said.
- "We want to make sure they keep the foot on the gas," she added.
What's next: The city is expected to break ground on laying the fiber network after the new year, according to Hingorani, and it plans to partner with commercial internet service providers to expand service offerings.
- The Tenderloin and Bayview are set to undergo similar internet expansions.
- #SFWiFi is currently available in over 20 community hubs citywide.