FAIRHOPE, AL- Harbor Communications and City of Fairhope Partner to Offer WiFi

Feb. 28, 2012 - PRLog -- Contact: Sherry Sullivan, City of Fairhope, 251-990-0218


Harbor Communications and City of Fairhope Partner to Offer WiFi

FAIRHOPE -- There’s a new hot spot in the city—literally. Most of downtown, parts of Greeno Road, and most city parks, including the pier, are now wireless Wi-Fi hotspots, offering free Internet connections, 24/7, thanks to a partnership between the City of Fairhope and Harbor Communications, said Mayor Tim Kant.

“When you launch the browser on your laptop computer, tablet (iPads, Kindles, etc.), or smart phone, the browser will direct you to the Fairhope site that has information on it about the City and about Harbor Communications. At the bottom of that page, there is a link where you may choose to open an account with Harbor Communications, but you don’t have to do that. You can choose ‘free trial,’ which gets you 30 minutes a day of free Wi-Fi, every day, seven days a week.”

Users who need more than the 30 minutes of free daily use can purchase additional time on a daily, weekly or monthly rate.

Fairhope is one of the first cities in southern Alabama to have a Wi-Fi network for its residents, visitors, and employees’ use, said Harbor’s Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Chuck Nylander. “Additionally, the city and all of its departments will have access to a private network at no charge, with the potential expansion of additional wireless future services for the city.”

In conjunction with the launch of the city Wi-Fi network, Harbor Communications is currently offering Fairhope businesses a promotional business bundle,” said Haden Giddings, Harbor’s market manager. “The promotion includes Harbor’s Voice and Data offerings through their traditional copper and fiber based facilities, but also includes a password for unlimited access to the Wi-Fi network.”

Plans are in the works for Harbor Communications to enhance the landing page area and give users access to shopping and dining guides, where daily users can potentially download a menu to choose places to eat.

The new Wi-Fi service is available via the installation of a SkyPilot Mesh network with 28 zones throughout the city. “Residents might have noticed the devices installed on our light poles,” Kant said. “They look sort of like upside down drink cups with two straws sticking out of the bottom. We’re happy to make this new service available to our residents, businesses, and visitors, but it’s also valuable to our city communications.”

According to information from Harbor Communications, the SkyPilot mesh network offers municipalities an economically compelling alternative for providing broadband access to mobile municipal workers, residents, and small businesses. Municipal police, fire, and EMS departments have been among the first to adopt metro-scale Wi-Fi mesh networks. High-speed, in-field data access dramatically improves public safety officer effectiveness and efficiency by getting critical information in their hands on the street. Once the networks are installed, many municipalities leverage the network for wireless broadband applications ranging from building inspections to automatic utility meter reading.

For additional information email Haden Giddings at hgiddings@harborcom.com or call 251-445-7558.

CUTLINE – Pcitured in downtown Fairhope (l-r) is City of Fairhope IT Director Jeff Montgomery, Harbor Communications Market Manager Haden Giddings, Fairhope Mayor Tim Kant and Chuck Nylander, Vice President of Sales and Marketing with Harbor Communcations.

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Harbor Communications is a leading Telecommunication company offering; Voice, Broadband Data, Hosted VoIP, Video, PRI/SIP. With offices in Mobile and Orange Beach, AL, and Metairie, LA. serving the Gulf Coast area from New Orleans through Pensecola, Fl.