The new network has a greater reach and faster speeds.
All of downtown now has access to fast, free wireless service.
AMHERST -- The town has launched a new improved, faster, more robust WiFi network downtown that extends Internet service to apartment complexes and more downtown businesses.
The town has been offering the free service since 2007. But Kristopher J. Pacunas, Amherst's Director of Information Technology, said people will notice the difference with the upgrade officially launched Wednesday.
The network covers a full mile of the downtown (view a map of the coverage area) and extends to the Carriage Shops as well as to the Anne Whalen Apartments and Clark House, which provide housing for the elderly and people with low incomes.
“The penetration and speed of the network is optimized for tablets, handheld devices and cell phones, which are the future,” he said. “What really sets this apart is the robustness of the network.”
He said more and more people go to hotels or shopping venues because there is free WiFi so it’s important to the town’s vitality to offer the service.
Businesses can use the network for free and can complete transactions on tablets, he said.
Downtown businesses won’t have to pay for their own service, he said. The motto is “Come to downtown Amherst and leave your data plan at home.”
Pacunas said installing WiFi to this large an area and outdoors is very challenging, adding, “We’ve got six years in municipal Wi-Fi, it has had paid off to have that experience.”
Besides helping the town, officials are hoping this helps demonstrate to other communities how such a system can operate.
The town had budgeted $75,000 to upgrade the system but was able to finish it for $50,000, he said.
“To say I’m excited is a dramatic understatement,” Pacunas said of the launch.
He said the town is a leader in municipal WiFi in the country and offers “the fastest in Massachusetts.” About 11,000 use the system a month.
Other Massachusetts communities offering free WiFi include Brookline and in Falmouth.
“I really believe in public WiFi,” Pacunas said. He sees the Internet as a utility almost as vital as gas or electricity and some people can’t afford data plans for access.
He said the town has taken precautions to protect security.
When each user goes on the site, he or she has a tunnel so no other user can see them online. But, he said, people have to use common sense.
"You should treat all open networks as a security risk," reads a tipsheet for using the network. "Don't do any banking, online shopping, or other activities that would expose your private information. If you wouldn't be willing to share it with the public, it can wait until you get home."