Posted in Escambia County

Free Wifi downtown

   April 23, 2009

In 2006, we had free WiFi downtown as part of our Ballsy Plan. Three years later the DIB is ready to launch it.

Press Release:

The Downtown Improvement Board (DIB) is officially launching free downtown wireless service for vendors and visitors to Martin Luther King Plaza and the surrounding 1,000 feet of Downtown Pensacola beginning May 2nd, 2009. Wireless coverage will benefit visitors and customers throughout Downtown Pensacola and enable wireless credit card transactions at Palafox Market as it kicks off its second year.

“The free, high-speed wireless service adds modern day convenience to the charm of Downtown Pensacola,” says Kim Kimbrough, director of the DIB. “We are thrilled to have it up in time to benefit patrons of Palafox Market.”

Last year, Palafox Market averaged just over 1300 patrons every Saturday morning, ranging from 900 to 3,000 depending on the day. The addition of free WiFi, electrical outlets and water make the venue even more comfortable for 2009. In fact, so comfortable that the vendor list is already full for the kick-off weekend. From roses and garden sculptures to herbs and homemade dog treats, more than 35 vendors will be selling locally grown items. A complete list of weekly vendors is available at www.palafoxmarket.com.

Merrill Land Company and Studer Properties LLP joined the DIB to provide free WiFi to patrons of Palafox Market, MLK Plaza and Downtown Pensacola. “We are providing this service to make life easier and more enjoyable for downtown visitors,” said Bess Abernathy, CFO of Studer Properties. “With an access point on top of the Rhodes Building, people should be able to receive a wireless signal no matter where they’re located in MLK Plaza.”

To find the free WiFi in Downtown Pensacola, look for the wireless network called “Downtown Pensacola.” The public WiFi service is not intended to provide Internet service for businesses due to differing security levels required from a workplace computer network.

For more information about the new WiFi service or Palafox Market, please visit www.palafoxmarket.com or contact the DIB at 434-5371.

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