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• Mar 31, 2008 12:52 pm US/Eastern
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  Low Cost Wi-Fi Launches In Boston Neighborhoods

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Low Cost Wi-Fi Launches In Boston Neighborhoods

BOSTON (WBZ) ― A program to bring low-cost wireless internet access to Boston's neighborhoods is now underway. Monday, Mayor Tom Menino announced the first two neighborhoods are officially online.

The pilot network includes parts of Grove Hall and Dudley Square, about a one square mile area of Roxbury and Dorchester. High-speed wireless internet access is now available to about 8,000 households in those neighborhoods, at a cost of $9.95 per month after a free 30 day trial.

It is the first step in an effort to bridge the digital divide in the city, and provide high-speed wireless internet access to all of Boston's neighborhoods.

"Today, we are celebrating a significant milestone in bringing the power of the Internet to a community which may not have enjoyed access in the past," Mayor Menino said Monday. "We are thrilled to deliver on this commitment at no cost to the taxpayers, and we hope folks will take advantage of low-cost Internet access that is now available to them."

The wireless network, called openairboston.net, soft-launched at the end of the summer. Already 3,000 users in Grove Hall and Dudley Square have taken advantage of the system, which offers service about 25 times faster than dial-up. The wireless pilot network is made up of 64 wireless radios installed on the top of buildings, light poles, and traffic signals.

In a 2006 report that launched the city's wireless initiative, a city task force found that only 43 percent of Boston residents have high-speed internet service, while only about 20 percent of Boston Public School students have access at home.

Boston's wireless project is using a non-profit entity, building a wholesale network open to any Internet Service Provider (ISP). The model is designed to encourage competition and keep prices down.

Late last year, wireless hot spots were launched in Quincy Market and in the North End's Columbus Park, for the benefit of tourists and business users. The city is now determining which neighborhood will be home to the next pilot network.

You can learn more about openairboston.net on their web site, and find the answers to Frequently Asked Questions.

(© MMVIII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

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