Thursday, November 7, 2024

Highland Park residents get free routers starting this week

(WYDaily file/Courtesy of Pexels)

The City of Williamsburg is distributing free routers to Highland Park residents starting Tuesday as part of a six-month pilot program that provides free broadband services, according to a news release from the City of Williamsburg.

Related Story: The Highland Park neighborhood will soon have free broadband. Here’s the deal

Residents of the Highland Park area can pick up a free router from a City staff member at the Highland Park picnic shelter at 703 N. Henry St. during one of four distribution events.

• Burbank Street residents: Tuesday, Jan. 12, 1-5 p.m.
• Dunning Street residents: Tuesday, Jan. 19, 8 a.m. to noon
• Roycroft Street residents: Tuesday, Jan. 26, 1 to 5 p.m.
• Henderson Street residents: Tuesday, Feb. 2, 8 a.m. to noon

If residents have a conflict on their designated date for router pick-up, they can attend a later distribution date. Residents are advised against picking up routers earlier than their designated date.

To set up the service, all residents need to do is plug the preconfigured router into a power source, and then Wifi-enabled devices can connect. City staff will provide instructions and answer questions at router pickup. The six months of free service begins on the day of router pickup for each participant.

Each router has a data threshold of 25 GB per month. Participants are advised to monitor usage to stay below the threshold for the best performance, according to the news release.

Participants also agree to fill out three surveys over the course of the six months to assess the pilot’s success.

The Highland Park Free Wireless Internet Pilot Program is funded through Coronavirus Aid, Recovery, and Economic Securities (CARES) Act money that Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam earmarked for projects that improve broadband access in underserved localities. The City received $192,023 to fund the pilot program, according to the news release.

Highland Park residents with questions about the service can email
broadband@williamsburgva.gov or call 757-905-6277.

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