Free wireless returns to downtown Naperville
Naperville is kicking off the summer with free surfing for residents and visitors alike.
Web surfing that is.
The city once again is offering free wireless Internet access in the downtown area, Dan Voiland, telecommunications manager, said Monday.
"(People) can access e-mail and look at different things, restaurants, whatever it is and in offering it to the downtown area it gives downtown more uniqueness," he said.
The network, called Naper Net, is available between Benton Avenue on the north, Webster Street on the west, Central Park on the east and Chicago Avenue to the south. It also is active along Jackson Avenue from Washington Street to West Street, including parts of the Riverwalk and Centennial Beach.
Naperville tested a free wireless Internet program in 2007 through MetroFi, but when the company ownership changed hands the cost to complete the network skyrocketed and the city discontinued the service.
Naperville owns the equipment from that pilot program and has partnered with WOW Access to reactivate wireless service.
The city began testing the network in April and though it wasn't publicly announced, plenty of people have caught on. Voiland estimates the network has been receiving about 500 hits a day.
He encourages those using the network to take proper safety precautions, including turning off file-sharing, establishing a firewall and using anti-virus software.
Activating the equipment cost Naperville about $7,000. Voiland said city staff will take care of most of the maintenance so costs will be minimal - about $10,000 a year.
The city also will benefit from having wireless access. For example, Voiland said, it can be used to run the security cameras that are scheduled to be installed downtown. City workers along with police and fire officials hope to use it to work more efficiently while away from their offices as well.
The city does not plan to expand the service beyond downtown due to the cost. Voiland said previous estimates were in excess of $5 million.