Kalamazoo Expanding Free Wi-fi Access To More Parks

Recently, Kalamazoo has upgraded a handful of their public parks across the city in multiple ways. Some of them have gotten a major clean up and renovation with new bathrooms, new jungle gym equipment, and other housekeeping items. Then, there were some that were a part of a pilot program to see if free Wi-Fi access would be beneficial at city parks.

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They couldn't have been more correct with this assumption as many people have taken advantage of the services at the parks where it is available. There are currently 6 parks in Kalamazoo that have free Wi-Fi access for its visitors. They are Lacrone, Upjohn, Milham, Rockwell, South side, and Spring Valley parks which have seen pleasant results so far.

Many people would think that this would defeat the exact purpose for being outside, to enjoy the nature around you. While this may be true, there are some benefits to these services as well. The first that comes to mind is children being able to use the Wi-Fi to communicate with their loved ones and the other is for those who may not be able to afford reliable internet services.

Do You Think Public Parks Should Offer Free Wi-Fi?

These parks have produced such great results that Kalamazoo is taking a look at extending the programs to more parks in the city. Their main motivation has been the fact that they are providing services to people who may need them more than others know.

Fox17online.com reports:

The city partnered with T-Mobile to implement the WiFi service at minimal cost to taxpayers. "We had a great partnership with T-Mobile. It worked out great. Very little cost to the city, by the way, for folks who are concerned about that," Dubois said. The city plans to expand WiFi access to three additional parks in 2026, which includes the Farmer's Market.

Pretty soon there may be another handful of parks in the Kalamazoo area that have free Wi-Fi for visitors to use and to provide an important service to those in the area who may need it.