by Bob van Wyk
Public Wi-Fi allows travelers, students and remote workers to stay connected anywhere. From cozy coffee shops to airport layovers, public WiFi makes the world smaller for all.
Studies have documented the positive spillover effects of high-speed broadband availability, with its effects particularly strong in prosperous municipalities with skilled labor pools. Unfortunately, however, those effects often take time to become visible.
Connecting Businesses
Public Wi-Fi access offers the convenience of internet connectivity without needing to bring along a router and passwords of their own. While users must take extra measures to protect personal data security, public Wi-Fi provides an invaluable option for people on the move.
Broadband internet has become an essential element of life in the digital economy. It supports local businesses and education while connecting people. Unfortunately, its availability varies considerably between areas; 24 million Americans currently lack equal access to broadband internet.
One way of tackling this problem is through coalition-building. Coalitions could include workforce organizations, libraries, elected offices and schools that could band together on advocacy for broadband infrastructure projects. Such partnerships could also work alongside private companies leading affordability initiatives.
Connecting People
Internet access is essential in modern life, yet many Americans do not have it. According to recent estimates, 24 million Americans currently lack broadband connectivity - predominantly those in rural and low-income communities - meaning many miss out on essential services like education, healthcare, and entertainment that depend on it.
Libraries have long been seen as important institutions supporting economic development, making them ideal anchor institutions to offer public WiFi. Modern libraries provide educational resources and e-books online for their patrons while collecting wireless session data to be used for advocacy, operational improvements related to patron experience improvements as well as for PLS surveys or state surveys.
Even in spite of these obstacles, many communities recognize the promise of public Wi-Fi to drive economic development and enhance digital inclusion. More cities and counties are taking steps to upgrade their networks; to be effective, such efforts must involve multiple stakeholders such as businesses, workforce organizations, schools, libraries and elected officials.
Connecting Communities
Small and mid-size businesses rely heavily on reliable internet connections as an essential element of global competition, daily operations management, customer engagement and competitive edge.
Fiber internet infrastructure also plays a crucial role in community wellness, offering communities numerous advantages when used to expand education programs, provide telemedicine services and increase broadband access for rural areas.
Successful local initiatives to bring broadband access to underserved areas rely on cooperation across the entire community. Forming coalitions among workforce organizations, libraries, elected offices and schools provides a powerful voice in support of and promotion for broadband initiatives. Woodstock, Vermont residents embraced free WiFi when the town installed it with store displays announcing its availability and press releases in local papers, becoming known as an innovatory destination welcoming tech. When Bemidji Construction Supply switched from dialup internet access to fiber broadband service it not only increased business but also significantly enhanced quality of life in their community.
Connecting Cities
Public WiFi has become an essential feature of modern life, enabling travelers to avoid high data roaming charges while helping residents navigate urban spaces more easily. When deployed strategically, public WiFi can also enhance a town's reputation as a forward-thinking destination.
Woodstock, Vermont set an excellent example with their implementation of a free wireless network in their downtown area in 2014. Not only did this initiative connect local economies but it made working remotely easier for residents as well as drawing visitors from surrounding communities who were impressed with its speed.
Communities seeking to increase broadband availability can take advantage of forming coalitions among a range of groups - business organizations, libraries, schools and elected offices among them - that seek to develop its broadband availability. By working together on advocacy efforts together they can ensure their needs are adequately represented in any advocacy efforts undertaken on their behalf.