Under the leadership of Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and the Orlando City Council, the City of Orlando’s recently completed Future-Ready Master Plan identified the creation of small and medium sized Resilience Hubs as a key strategy to enhance connectivity and provide critical services such as wi-fi and power to residents in low- to moderate-income neighborhoods.
The “Tables of Connection” are picnic tables that are solar-powered, shaded and outfitted with a wi-fi hotspot and charging station, connecting residents to the internet and allowing them to charge up to four wireless devices and power four laptops at once.
As part of the project, the first two tables were recently installed in Prince Hall Park (4418 Prince Hall Boulevard) and in Willows Park (3101 Willow Bend Boulevard).
The tables bring needed connectivity to these two areas in which 57% and 33% of residents, respectively, lack broadband service, much higher than the City of Orlando’s average of 18%. Rated for 175 mph winds, each table can provide critically important services to residents after a disaster, allowing people to charge phones, call loved ones, restore services, and get access to emergency information during a power outage.
The first two Tables of Connection were made possible with $20,000 awarded through the AARP Community Challenge Grant focused on providing funding for “quick-action” projects that help communities be more accessible for residents of all ages.
The city hopes to add more Tables of Connection to city parks and facilities over time.