Three Harrison buildings will soon be connected to wifi.
Harrison’s Memorial Hall, Wastewater Treatment Plant and Boat Launch are currently not hooked up to any sort of internet. Employees at the wastewater treatment plant access their work email via a cellphone hot spot, and businesses running out of the boat launch building can offer cash-only services.
According to community services coordinator Rhonda Schell, Memorial Hall is within Shaw’s broadband network. By connecting Memorial Hall to wifi, the village would be able to set up wireless bridges that would allow the signal to reach both the boat launch and the treatment plant.
“Enabling connectivity for our utilities staff will improve their access to information, as well as help us keep our centralized digital data all together,” Schell said. “Also, wifi will be a benefit to the business operators at both the boat launch and event coordinators at Memorial Hall because they will be able to have debit and credit sales.”
The wifi would not be available to the public, and instead only be accessible to village staff. Businesses or people renting Memorial Hall or using the boat launch would have access to a guest portal that would allow them to have internet access while they were on site.
Schell said the village did look at Shaw’s open wifi system, which allows anyone with a Shaw account to log in to the internet, but said it wouldn’t give the village staff the internet security they need.
The hardware and installation services for the wifi project will cost around $15,000, to be paid for out of the Federal Gas Tax fund. Operating costs will be approximately $115 each month.
grace.kennedy@ahobserver.com
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