Washington, D.C., Extends Free Wi-Fi Coverage to the National Mall

Government Technology

Who flew the Spirit of St. Louis airplane that's parked in the National Air and Space Museum? For visitors there, the answer -- Charles Lindbergh -- is now a click away, and it doesn't require a smartphone and wireless subscription.

The National Mall in Washington, D.C., has been covered by free Wi-Fi hot spots, officials announced Wednesday, Sept. 8 -- a new service made possible through cooperation of Washington, D.C.'s technology office, federal agencies and private-sector partners.

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Study: Home Wi-Fi Important for School Success

PC Magazine

A Cisco-sponsored study released Thursday found that both teens and parents value connectivity when its comes to education.

According to a new study by the Opinion Research group; 9 out of 10 teens aged 12 to 17, and nearly 3 out of 4 parents, feel having home Wi-Fi access makes students better equipped to handle schoolwork.

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How Starbucks plans to capitalize on free Wi-Fi

Mashable

Starbucks stores nationwide now have free Wi-Fi, but details around the second piece to the coffee retailer’s digital strategy — the Starbucks Digital Network — have been slim. Here’s how Starbucks plans to cater to digital consumers and premium content providers through its Digital Network.

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AT&T launches Wi-Fi hot zone in Wrigleyville

Chicagobreakingbusiness.com

AT&T is launching a Wi-Fi “hot zone” in Chicago’s Wrigleyville as part of a pilot program that seeks to supplement the company’s beleaguered broadband network.

This will be the third Wi-Fi zone set up by the company, which is setting up the zones in area with the highest traffic and mobile data use. The first pilot was launched in New York City’s Times Square in May and was followed by a hot zone in downtown Charlotte, N.C.

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Wi-Fi to lure fests back to river

Columbus Dispatch

The festivals that have vacated the city's riverfront during construction of the Scioto Mile will have one more incentive to return next year: free wireless Internet.

The $44 million project is creating parkland on the east side of the Scioto River from Broad Street to Bicentennial Park. Water and electrical hookups were already planned to accommodate festivals. With the addition of wireless Internet, festival vendors will have easier access to swipe credit cards.

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Starbucks to Offer Free Wi-Fi Service

Wall Street Journal

Starbucks Corp. will make wireless Internet service free at all U.S. stores starting July 1, eliminating a previous fee of $3.99 for two hours of access.

The move comes after McDonald’s Corp. earlier this year dropped all access fees on wireless Internet service, as the fast-food chain sought to make its restaurants a more suitable place to hang out.

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Dublin becomes largest Wi-Fi hotzone in Central Ohio

muniwireless.com

Dublin, Ohio has the largest Wi-Fi hotzone in central Ohio according to the press release issued by HighSpeedAir, a family-owned business based in Dublin, Ohio, which is responsible for deploying the network. The primary goals of this network are to enhance public safety and improve the city’s operational efficiencies, while also offering a valuable broadband service option to the community.

One area of increased efficiency for the city includes almost instantaneous information dissemination for police, who can also file field reports from cruisers without returning to the Justice Center. It also allows the police to have improved communications in mobile command units during emergencies.

Verizon to Offer Free Wi-Fi to broadband subscribers - Digits - WSJ

Verizon Communications Inc. is preparing to offer free Wi-Fi access at hotspots to subscribers to its home broadband services, according to people familiar with the matter. The phone giant will partner with Boingo, a startup that counts former EarthLink founder Sky Dayton as chairman, to deliver the access...