SF Completes Phase One of Free Chinatown Wi-Fi, Connecting 234 Families

Mayor Daniel Lurie joined District 3 Supervisor Danny Sauter and city technology leaders on March 4 to declare the first phase of the Chinatown #SFWiFi project complete, bringing free high-speed internet to a neighborhood where, according to Funcheap, nearly half of households lack broadband access.

Phase One activates the network along Grant Avenue from Bush Street to Broadway, covering roughly eight blocks through the heart of the commercial corridor, as well as St. Mary's Square, Portsmouth Square, Willie Woo Woo Wong Playground, Jackson Street between Grant Avenue and Stockton Street, and Pacific Avenue between Grant Avenue and Powell Street. The deployment also extends the city's Fiber to Housing program to Ping Yuen Central, West, and East, the three affordable housing buildings whose 234 families now have free high-speed internet service directly in their buildings.

"Access to opportunity online must be available to everyone in a city that leads the globe in technology and innovation," Lurie said. "I am proud to celebrate the completion of the first phase of free public Wi-Fi in Chinatown and the addition of internet services for 234 families at Ping Yuen."

City Administrator Carmen Chu pointed to the economic stakes along the Grant Avenue business corridor. "Grant Avenue is a key destination for visitors to Chinatown, and I am thrilled to know that it will be supported by state-of-the-art technology that helps our local businesses and communities continue to prosper," Chu said.

Supervisor Sauter, whose District 3 includes Chinatown, cast the milestone in infrastructure terms. "This milestone reflects strong partnerships and a shared commitment to digital equity," Sauter said. "Access to reliable internet is an essential infrastructure."

The significance of that framing is difficult to overstate given Chinatown's profile. StateScoop describes it as the oldest and largest Chinatown in the United States, with roughly 15,000 residents packed into a 24-to-30-block area, making it one of San Francisco's densest neighborhoods. The #SFWiFi network already serves more than 20 locations citywide, including Union Square and Civic Center Plaza, but Chinatown had remained unconnected until now.

The network is expected to support large public gatherings as well as everyday use, including the Lunar New Year Parade and Autumn Moon Festival. The Department of Technology will continue installing fiber throughout Chinatown over the next year, with Phase Two slated for later in 2026 to extend coverage to Stockton Street, nearby alleys and side streets, and potentially Portsmouth Square pending ongoing renovations at that site. The city has also indicated plans to bring similar expansions to the Tenderloin and Bayview after Chinatown's buildout is finished.