AT THE SMITHSONIAN

This Just In: Free Wi-Fi on the National Mall

Senior Editor

September 8, 2010

We here at ATM are pleased to relay an exciting announcement made by District of Columbia Mayor Adrian Fenty and District Chief Technology Officer Bryan Sivak today: new outdoor hotspots provide free Wi-Fi coverage on the National Mall, from 3rd Street to 14th Street!

That's right. Anyone with a laptop or other Wi-Fi-capable device can surf the Internet for free from this portion of the National Mall between the Capitol and the Washington Monument. The Smithsonian Institution was one of several federal partners, including the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. General Services Administration and the National Gallery of Art, as well as companies in the private sector, that helped get this service off the ground. The National Museum of the American Indian, the National Air and Space Museum, the National Museum of Natural History and the National Museum of American History—as well as nearby sites like the National Gallery of Art and the U.S. Department of Agriculture—are all hotspots.

"Now anyone can enhance the experience of a tourist visit, work break or fitness walk on the Mall with all the rich resources available on the Internet—information, music, maps, video and more," said Chief Technology Officer Sivak, in a press release. "This is one more example of how we're deploying technology to make life and work for residents, businesses and visitors more convenient, efficient and fun."

Expanding coverage to the National Mall is part of a larger free wireless Internet initiative in the District, and the Office of the Chief Technology Officer (OCTO) has created a handy map that identifies the names and addresses of the nearly 220 hotspots that have sprung up in District government and outdoor sites throughout the capital.

Now you have no excuse for not knowing about Around the Mall coverage when you visit the Smithsonian museums!