Congresswoman Matsui Applauds Launch of Free Wi-Fi on the National Mall
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
CONTACT: MARA LEE
(202) 225-7163
As a Smithsonian Regent, Helped Secure Broadband Availability for Visitors from Across the Country
Today, Congresswoman Doris O. Matsui (CA-05) applauded the launch of free wi-fi on the National Mall. The announcement comes after months of collaboration between the District of Columbia Mayor's Office, the Smithsonian Institution, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Department of Commerce, the U.S. General Services Administration, the National Gallery and many others to help secure these benefits for visitors from around the country who come to enjoy the nation's front yard.
As a member of the Smithsonian Board of Regents and the House Communications, Technology and the Internet Subcomittee, Congresswoman Matsui voiced her support for this project in a letter to Smithsonian Secretary Wayne Clough in June of this year. A copy of the letter is available here .
The National Mall is, in many respects, a symbol of our nation, and a national symbol of openness in government, Matsui's letter states. Open, public Internet access on the National Mall would further that openness, and make the National Mall more accessible and attractive for our citizens and visitors. Public Internet access on the National Mall would also support the Smithsonian's efforts to provide easily accessible, portable information for Smithsonian visitors.
The announcement of new hotspots was made today by District of Columbia Mayor Adrian M. Fenty and District Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Bryan Sivak. The new hotspots cover the Mall, from 3rd Street on the east to 14th Street on the west. A hotspot is a site where anyone with a computer or other device with wi-fi capability can come and browse the Internet for free using the District's wireless network, DC Wifi.
All of the District's free wi-fi hotspots are open to anyone. To help people get to all the District's free wi-fi hotspots, OCTO has created a simple mapping application that displays all the wi-fi hotspots and information about each hotspot site. Users can visit http://wifi.dc.gov, click on any of the hotspot icons on the map, and see the name and address of the hotspot site, along with a close-up map of its surrounding area and a link to directions from and to their starting point or destination. Users can visit http://3ddc.dc.gov/dcnet/wifi/ to view available coverage.
Congresswoman Matsui has been an ardent supporter of expanding Internet access throughout the country since coming to Congress in 2005. For more information about her work in Congress, please visit www.matsui.house.gov .
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