Decatur's Free Wi-Fi Starts Friday

The City of Decatur will begin offering free Wi-Fi service on Friday in downtown Decatur, the Oakhurst business district, Oakhurst Park, Glenlake Park, McKoy Park, and Adair Park.

For several years the city has offered what was intended to be citywide wi-fi that required payment, but reception was spotty in many places because of Decatur's tree canopy.

Last August the city commission voted to scrap the citywide plan and go with free service in high-usage areas like the Decatur Square. (See attached map.)

Assistant City Manager Andrea Arnold told the commisison then that free service fit into the city's strategic plan, which calls for Decatur to attract creative enterprises that rely on internet service.

The city also changed wi-fi system operators and spent $189,000 to replace old Wi-Fi equipment.

The Decatur Minute website says people with smart phones, laptops and tablets should follow these steps.

1. Look for and select the network named “Decatur Free WiFi” in the list of networks in your device’s Wi-Fi settings screen.

2. Once connected, open the Internet browser to accept the terms and conditions of Decatur Wi-Fi.