Photo Credit: American Park Network
Have you noticed the degree to which most people are glued to electronic devices? Amazingly, 95 percent of Americans own a cell phone, the majority of the smart variety. Given this reality, a growing number of local, state, and federal agencies are now committed to bring free Wi-Fi to public spaces. For instance, the city of Los Angeles has introduced free Wi-Fi to iconic spots such as Venice Beach and the Griffith Observatory, as well as suburban recreation centers and urban parks in the center of downtown. Similarly, New York State Parks has expanded its connectivity program and now offers free Wi-Fi at parks that account for nearly 40 percent of the system’s 71-million visitors. Destination locations like Niagara Falls, Saratoga Spa, and Jones Beach are included, along with highly popular urban parks in the heart of New York City.
Parks departments everywhere are starting to embrace the fact that visitors no longer view Wi-Fi as an amenity, but rather as a public utility, like electricity and running water. Since the demand for connectivity isn’t going away, lots of questions inevitably arise about how it works and who pays to fund the service, which visitors expect to be free.
Funding Through Public/Private Partnerships
When New York State Parks decided to take a leadership role by offering free Wi-Fi, it was a creative public/private partnership that made the service possible. State Parks Commissioner Rose Harvey says, “We’re grateful for our partnership with Toyota and American Park Network, whose generous support has allowed us to enhance our parks by adding this much sought-after service.”