31 San Francisco playgrounds, plazas, recreation centers, and parks are getting two years of free Wi-Fi thanks to a $600,000 gift announced by Google today - with no strings attached. Pending approvals, installations could start in November and be done by April 2014. The gift is designed to empower citizens and community groups, and serve as a pilot for city-wide free Wi-Fi.
Six years ago, San Francisco, EarthLink, and Google tried to set up a Wi-Fi network for the whole city, but Mayor Gavin Newsom, the Board of Supervisors, and the companies couldn't agree on a contract. The program was derailed partly because of public and officials' fears that these tech companies would profit. The initiative announced today in conjunction with SF's Department Of Technology and Ron Conway's sf.citi includes no plan for Google to make money.
Google's $600,000 gift will pay for equipment, installation, and maintenance of the wireless network for two years. After that it's unclear what will happen, but if the public's reaction is positive, Google's gift could pave the way for a wider Wi-Fi. Google has paid for limited Wi-Fi networks in neighborhoods of New York and Boston, and also set up a paid fiber-optic network in Kansas City.
The San Francisco program could help recreation centers improve their infrastructure from existing dial-up connections and make it easier to sign up kids for summer camps. Citizens without connections at home could travel to the parks to access the Internet. And for the tech community, it could make leaving the office to work from Mission Dolores Park, Justin Herman Plaza, Marina Green, or Civic Center Plaza a lot easier.
The press conference for the announcement begins shortly, and we'll have more details and and comments from public officials soon
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Here's the full list of public areas gaining free Wi-Fi in San Francisco, via the SF Chronicle:
Alamo Square, Balboa Park, Bernal Heights Recreation Center, Boeddeker Park, Chinese Recreation Center, Civic Center Plaza, Corona Heights, Crocker Amazon Playground, Duboce Park, Eureka Valley Recreation Center, Gene Friend Recreation Center, Hamilton Recreation Center, Huntington Park, Joseph Lee Recreation Center, Justin Herman Plaza, Margaret S. Hayward Playground, Marina Green, Minnie and Lovie Ward Recreation Center, Mission Dolores Park, Mission Recreation Center, Palega Playground, Portsmouth Square, Richmond Recreation Center, St. Mary's Recreation Center, St. Mary's Square, Sue Bierman Park, Sunnyside Playground, Sunset Playground, Tenderloin Recreation Center, Upper Noe Recreation Center, Washington Square
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news by July 24, 2013 at 10:57PM
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