East End Wi-Fi

The Charleston Area Alliance, East End Main Street and the governor’s office have scheduled a news conference for this afternoon to announce a state and city plan for Wi-Fi in Charleston's East End.

Update: The Charleston Area Alliance blog has posts here and here. The plan to offer free Wi-Fi for the East End and they are looking for vendors.

Charleston, W.Va. – Representatives from East End Main Street (EEMS) announced today their plans to provide the entire East End neighborhood with free Wi-Fi service for the next three years. Today, EEMS sent out their request for proposal (RFP) to vendors for submission of bids and plans for this project.

The implementation of this project would offer free wireless internet service to approximately 12,000 residents, more than 200 businesses, and visitors to the East End area. The coverage area will include the 35th Street Bridge to the east, Leon Sullivan Way to the west, the Kanawha Boulevard to the south and Piedmont Road to the north; totaling an area just short of one square mile. This is believed to be the largest planned, free Wi-Fi zone in the state of West Virginia.