News

Free Wi-Fi on the Common

Free Wi-Fi on the Common

Boston Common recently made the jump to the 21st century when the 378-year-old park became equipped with free wireless Internet.

The project began in February, said Bob Tumposky, deputy director for management information services at the Boston Redevelopment Authority, in a statement to The Boston Globe.

Before this, people in the Park Street area looking to browse the web had to seek cafés and libraries to access the Internet. With the new installation in place, visitors can enjoy the Internet throughout the entire park.

Networking provider Anaptyx approached the city, offering to test new facilities on the Common that would provide free Wi-Fi. The Boston Department of Innovation and Technology is sponsoring this project, which is supposed to cost the city less than $10,000 for installation costs. Anaptyx is donating all of the equipment, estimated to cost between $8,000 and $9,000.

Boston Common is not the first city park to get free wireless Internet — Central Park has areas with free Wi-Fi that were instituted last summer.

—Jessica J. Pourian



1 Comment
1
Meg Muckenhoupt over 12 years ago

...except that the Boston Common already has WIFI, according to the city:

http://www.cityofboston.gov/news/default.aspx?id5475

... and the Boston Globe announced the project in April, 2011.

http://www.boston.com/yourtown/news/beacon_hill/2011/04/unplugged_and_outdoors_free_wi.html

Was this article filed a year late?