Starting today, Decatur will offer free Wi-Fi in several public spaces. Those spaces include downtown Decatur, the Oakhurst business district and several city parks.
It’s not the first time Decatur has offered free Wi-Fi. With the help of a state grant, those visiting the city between 2008 to 2011 could log onto the internet for free for two hours in most of the city’s public spaces. Residents could also access it in their homes. But Assistant City Manager Andrea Arnold says the first Wi-Fi model offered by the city was a learning experience.
“What we found was that it was extremely difficult to get service into residential areas, because we had difficulty getting access on utility poles.”
In 2011, the city moved to a second model, which required those wishing to use Wi-Fi in public places or their homes to pay immediately for their usage. Now, the city has expanded the bandwidth and upgraded the hardware for its Wi-Fi system and is offering a third model. Under the new model, residents visiting the city’s downtown, the Oakhurst business district or several city parks can now surf the internet for as long they want for free.
“They are living in a progressive, innovative, community, so I think there’s a huge public benefit. I think more and more it’s like an amenity like a sidewalk.”
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