These 5 Detroit parks are installing free public WiFi

Detroit ― Free public WiFi is being installed at five Detroit parks starting this week as part of a citywide pilot to bridge the digital divide.

The Detroit Parks Coalition, along with the city and Connect 313, announced the project Thursday to increase internet service in public spaces.

The pilot will install WiFi at Bradby, Chandler, Clark, McDuffy and Palmer parks and is expected to be completed by the fall. The project is funded through $265,000 in grants from the Detroit Pistons, Rocket Community Fund and Knight Foundation. Funding includes infrastructure installation and five years of service provided by Cronus Internet.

Detroit Parks Coalition is supporting the project because it's an opportunity to connect technology with being outdoors, said Alex Allen, board president of the coalition.

“Detroit’s parks are our common grounds,” said Sigal Hemy, executive director of Detroit Parks Coalition. “We are thrilled that our neighborhood parks will help bridge the digital divide and elevate quality of life for all Detroiters.”

The Park Wi-Fi initiative is a project of Connect 313, a collaborative established to establish digital inclusion for Detroiters. 

It's been nearly a decade since the Federal Communications Commission began pointing out Detroit's lack of digital access as "among the most extreme in the nation." In 2015, 38% of its residents did not have broadband at home. For low-income households, the percentage offline was 63%.

Today, between 35% and 45% remain offline at nearly 300,000 people, according to data provided to the city from corporations like AT&T and T-Mobile. 

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Crews have started work in Palmer Park; service may be available there in the coming weeks. Crews then move on to the other parks, finishing with Chandler Park this fall.

"It is fitting that Palmer Park, the home of the Rocket Mortgage Classic, where Connect 313 was first established in 2020, is the first park to install this vital technology," said Laura Grannemann, chair of the Connect 313 board and director of the Rocket Community Fund. "Increasing access to Wi-Fi in public spaces like these five parks is a major part of the path forward to a more connected and equitable city."

Detroit follows Dearborn, which announced a $30 million parks initiative this year to provide free outdoor Wi-Fi at its public parks.

Grant funding also will support charging stations in each of the parks.

DPC and the city of Detroit engaged Adopt-a-Park partners in the siting and design of the Wi-Fi plans. The partners will also have the opportunity to raise sponsorship funds for the Wi-Fi splash page, further supporting park programming and activations.

Community partners include:

• Bradby Park – Stafford House
• Clark Park – Clark Park Coalition
• Chandler Park – Chandler Park Conservancy
• McDuffy Park – North End Christian CDC
• Palmer Park – People for Palmer Park

srahal@detroitnews.com