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OGDEN — A free Wi-Fi network was launched in Ogden and will soon cover the entire downtown area, city officials announced Tuesday.
The network currently runs from 21st Street to 22nd Street between Washington Boulevard and Grant Avenue, according to a statement from the city. Coverage of the entire downtown area is scheduled to be completed by December 2016.
“Creating a free Wi-Fi network over a large portion of the downtown area will give citizens far more Internet access,” Ogden City IT operations manager Andy Lefgren said in a statement. “The municipal wireless network provides greater access in more places and at speeds up to four times faster than the average home user is able to purchase presently.”
The city is teaming with WebNX to provide the service. WebNX is an Internet infrastructure company that recently decided to base its secondary data center in Ogden.
All of the hardware and networking infrastructure was donated to the city by WebNX, according to the statement from Ogden City. The company will also dedicate 10 Gbps of bandwidth to the project.
“The real estate in Ogden is a great value," said Marc Rosenthal, WebNX head of Business Development and Finance, in a statement. "Add to that a really business friendly atmosphere and a city who is great to work with and it just makes sense to do business here.”
Offering free Wi-Fi will help improve economic development and enhance public safety, according to the city. Officials said the creation of the network will not create any cost for the city or its citizens.
