WASHINGTON, DC–The District of Columbia's Office of the Chief Technology Officer (OCTO) turned on the free outdoor WiFi in the Golden Triangle Business Improvement District as promised in its Pennsylvania Avenue 2040 pilot program.

PA 2040 focuses on Pennsylvania Avenue west of the White House between the 1700 and 1900 blocks of Pennsylvania Ave. and from G Street to I streets NW.

This first phase debuts the public Wi-Fi, called DCNet Wi-Fi, which OCTO partnered with Sensity and Cisco to deliver. Later phases will include connecting remotely managed, sensor-based LED street lights and sensors to help the BID better manage upkeep of the area.

“Public outdoor Wi-Fi is an amazing amenity for people,” the BID's Executive Director Leona Agouridis tells GlobeSt.com. “We are becoming a more urban and yet still outdoor world and people want to stay connected.”

The BID has been offering a more limited variant of free outdoor Wi-Fi with its Fridays in the Park summer project. Over 22 Fridays in which Farragut Square Park was Wi-Fi-enabled some 39,000 people lingered for more than ten minutes, Agouridis said. Anything less than ten minutes suggested people were just cutting through the park to avoid the city streets.

The internet connectivity is also being used to wire a variety of sensors placed throughout the nine block area to power up smart lighting, environmental, soil, and smart trash pickup.

The BID, the city and the tech companies will use the initial data generated as feedback to explore other uses for additional types of sensors. Environmental sensors that measure moisture and air quality will probably be deployed at some point, Agouridis said, as part of a larger Internet of Things rollout. Soil sensors could indicate when plants need to be watered; trash cans can communicate when trash needs to be removed. For consumers there is the promise of connected parking garages, which alert a driver's smartphone of the location of available parking spots.

“As people in the Golden Triangle neighborhood take advantage of these new services, we'll see productivity and creativity blossom as a driver for new ideas, jobs, and industries,” Agouridis said.

Instant Insights /

DC Turns On Promised Free Outdoor Wi-Fi in Golden Triangle

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