Free WiFi will at last be available to visitors and residents in downtown Traverse City as the Downtown Development Authority's (DDA's) wireless Internet infrastructure goes live over the weekend. While the system is still in test mode as Traverse City Light & Power (TCL&P) finalizes network configurations over the weekend, users were accessing the signal throughout various parts of downtown as early as Friday afternoon.

“When it's fully up, there will be a nice landing page...where you click on a user agreement and then there will be some options for things like attractions, restrooms and parking,” says DDA Executive Director Rob Bacigalupi. Equipment has been installed in locations including the Hardy Parking Deck, Old Town Parking Deck, City Opera House and three separate areas within Clinch Park to provide consistent coverage through downtown.

The free WiFi project is the result of a 10-year agreement between the DDA and TCL&P in which the city-owned utility paid for upfront costs to install and operate the network. TCL&P will recoup its expenses in DDA payments over the next decade.