Washington Extends Free Wi-Fi Coverage to the National Mall

The National Mall in Washington (DC) has been covered by free Wi-Fi hot spots, officials announced Sept. 8 -- a new service made possible through cooperation of DC's technology office, federal agencies and private-sector partners.

Six hot spots are now live from 3rd Street to 14th Street on the mall, where the Smithsonian museums and other prominent federal buildings are located. A few more hot spots will be added later, according to Rebekah Kenefick of the Washington (DC) Office of the Chief Technology Officer (OCTO), including at the Department of Commerce building that's under construction. DC had to partner with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. General Services Administration, National Gallery of Art and the Smithsonian Institution because the mall is federal land and not controlled by the District of Columbia government. Those federal agencies are anchor institutions for the Wi-Fi hot spots on the mall. Network hardware for hot spots on the National Mall was donated by Cisco, and Level 3 donated the Internet service.