Boston Mayor Martin Walsh’s office announced Wednesday the expansion of Wicked Free Wi-Fi to Roslindale, Dudley Square and Hyde Park Main Street Districts.
Expanding on Boston’s free public Wi-Fi network, Boston Mayor Martin Walsh announced Wicked Free Wi-Fi service for Roslindale, Dudley Square and Hyde Park Wednesday.
Police stations, fire stations and libraries serve as access points for the Wi-Fi network, according to a Wednesday press release. There are now nearly 40 hotspots and four Main Streets Districts with access to the Wi-Fi service.
“Our Main Streets Districts are the economic engines of our neighborhoods, and free Wi-Fi service provides a valuable amenity and helps all residents stay connected,” Walsh said in the release.
Emily Patrick, executive director of Hyde Park Main Streets, said the Main Streets nonprofit focuses on serving the community.
“Hyde Park Main Streets is one of 20 Main Streets within the city of Boston. Our primary focus is to serve the needs of the small business community, but we also collaborate with residents and other organizations in the neighborhood,” Patrick said. “We provide a lot of technological assistance and outreach and we do a lot of community development work.”
Access to free public Wi-Fi, Patrick said, can be an equalizing factor.
“Free Internet access is a tremendous value and resource for any community and especially a community that has so many immigrants and first generation Americans and people of lower incomes,” Patrick said. “To be able to have the resources that more wealthy people have is tremendous. We are really grateful towards the city for providing that for us.”
Through the Department of Innovation and Technology, the city launched the public wireless network in 2014 in 12 locations including Allston, the Boston Common and Faneuil Hall, The Daily Free Press reported on April 13, 2014.
Expanding the free Wi-Fi into the Main Streets Districts was part of the plan when the program was launched, Patrick said.
Jascha Franklin-Hodge, chief information officer for the City of Boston, said there is a process when it comes to deciding where to add new hotspots.
“We’re fairly opportunistic in how we pick neighborhoods,” Franklin-Hodge wrote in an email. “We’re really trying to focus on our neighborhood business districts with public gathering places in the neighborhoods. In terms of picking which neighborhoods, it’s really where we have the right facilities that we need to be able to get significant coverage.”
Eventually the goal is to connect all 20 of the Main Streets Districts, Franklin-Hodge said.
Residents and leaders have expressed excitement about having Wicked Free Wi-Fi, Franklin-Hodge said.
“It’s an amenity that their customers enjoy,” Franklin-Hodge said. “It’s a way to add value and encourage people to shop in their neighborhood retail districts and it’s an important tool for equity in the neighborhoods for people who struggle to get online or who don’t have broadband at home.”
Several residents said how helpful it is for the city to bring free Wi-Fi into the neighborhoods throughout Boston.
Katherine Hunt, 32, of Brighton, talked about how important Wi-Fi is in today’s culture.
“Now you kind of need Wi-Fi because everything is on the Internet,” she said. “At this point, it’s really hard to work or go to school without access to that. I’m glad that the city is bringing public Wi-Fi to more parts of Boston because that’s something that people need to have access to now.”
Thomas Chi, 30, of Allston, said the city is doing its best to equalize access to the Internet.
“That’s great that the city wants everyone to have that,” he said. “If I didn’t have Wi-Fi, I’m not sure what I would do, so it’s great that the city wants everyone to be able to have that.”
Amy Rubin, 21, of Allston, said it is a nice idea for the city to make such an effort to expand Wi-Fi for residents.
“Everyone should be able to have Internet,” she said. “I’m really glad that our city officials are working to be sure that everyone can have access to that because I think someone of us take having that for granted.”
