Miami Beach High on WiFi
City gets free citywide WiFi
By BRIAN HAMACHER
Updated 12:00 PM EST, Fri, Oct 30, 2009
The trendy clubs in Miami Beach aren't the only thing that's wired all day and night. So are the parks, the streets and just about everywhere else.
In an official "wire-cutting" ceremony today at City Hall, Miami Beach will become the first in South Florida to be outfitted with a free citywide WiFi network.
"WiFi Miami Beach will make our city safer, our government more efficient, and provide free Internet access to our residents and visitors," Miami Beach City Manager Jorge M. Gonzalez said in a statement.
Though many cities offer free WiFi in certain "hot spots," Miami Beach is joining a select group of cities nationwide that offer the service in all locations.
Users can connect in two ways, through City_of_Miami_Beach_WiFi and a content filtered version for kids, called MBKIDS. A 24/7 helpline is also available for users at 305-722-1917.
Miami Beach teamed up with IBM to provide the service, with the initial agreement running for six years at a whopping $5.2 million.
The service is starting at a time when many cities are scaling back or cutting free WiFi services completely due to cost concerns.
Just last month, the city of St. Cloud, in central Florida, one of the first in the country to offer free citywide WiFi, pulled the plug on its WiFi.
First Published: Oct 30, 2009 10:43 AM EST
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