Emerging technology may soon bring free Wi-Fi to the city of Huntington through a pilot program with WVNET (West Virginia Network for Educational Telecomputing).

“We are partnering with WVNET to provide free Wi- Fi under a one year pilot program,” Bryan Chambers, communications director for the city of Huntington, said. “This kind of program is using white space, which is the unused broadcast signals to translate that into Wi-Fi. We just launched that a few weeks ago.”

Plans for free Wi-Fi for the city have been in the works since Mayor Steve Williams was elected to office in 2012, according to Chambers.

“After he was elected and before he took office, he formed a transition team of community members,” Chambers said. “One of the groups that was formed was focused on economic and community development.”

One of the mayor’s goals for his time in office is to bring more businesses to Huntington, and according to the transition teams, free Wi-Fi is a big part of that initiative.

“The group’s primary recommendation was that the city needed to pursue providing Wi-Fi, or high speed broadband to the business community and to residents,” Chambers said. “That would be a major step in recruiting more businesses to Huntington.”

As of right now, access is only available to the Pullman Square shopping area via a tower on top of Marshall University’s John D. Deaver Drinko library and a radio on top of Marshall’s Visual Arts Center in Pullman Square.

“We are using new technology and it is okay to take baby steps right now because we want to make sure that whatever we do it needs to work,” Chambers said. “Under the pilot program, the city is not being charged, WVNET is covering it all and we are very grateful to them.”

The city eventually hopes to expand access to all Huntington residents.

“We would love to see it citywide but we know that would take some time,” Chambers said. “The mayor’s more immediate goal is to try to provide free Wi-Fi from as far east as St. Mary’s along the Hal Greer boulevard corridor, to 14th street west where we have revitalization efforts going on in the central city district.”

Free Internet access would encourage residents to get out more, according to Huntington resident, Rachel Jefferson.

“For me, especially in the warmer months, it would help if I know I can do downtown and sit outside and have free access,” Jefferson said. “I would be more apt to go out knowing it is available.”

Jefferson also said she thinks this access would be great for students.

“It would really help students find more areas they could do work other than the dorms or the library,” Jefferson said.

Chambers said the initiative shows the city is willing to try new technology, and if it does not work out, there will be no harm done.

“I think that it shows that we are being forward thinking and progressive,” Chambers said. “At the end of the day, if it doesn’t work out, and if we find out that this is not the best technology, then there has not been any harm done because the residents and taxpayers are not having to pay for anything and it is not costing the city a dime.”

Emily Rice can be contacted at [email protected].