BPW offering free Wi-Fi on boulevard

Tent cards placed on the bar at Ruby Tuesday tell customers they can pull out their wireless internet devices if they've got them. The Gaffney Board of Public Works is involved in a pilot test program that turned West Floyd Baker Boulevard into a wireless Internet corridor. It's allowing free public access to the Internet services. It started telling businesses and restaurants about the free services about two weeks ago. Somewhat quietly, officials from the Gaffney Board of Public Works have been making stops at restaurants up and down Floyd Baker Boulevard the last two weeks.

They weren't going for lunch or dinner, however, but to allow the restaurants to offer something else without having to change their menus. In this case, free Internet access for customers.

As part of a pilot program that began several months ago, the Board of Pubic Works installed a series of wireless Internet transmitters and receivers along the West Floyd Baker Boulevard business corridor, from Interstate 85 to Gaffney City Hall, and on Hyatt Street from Interstate 85 to the Little League ball fields.

While the wireless Internet system is mainly for the use of Board of Public Works workers, it was decided up front to give the public free access as a test of the system. Just recently, the Board of Public Works started informing restaurant and business owners along West Floyd Baker Boulevard of the Wi-Fi availability.

"We're still testing, making sure everything works well," said general manager Donnie Hardin.

Anyone with a wireless Internet device can access the Peach Wi-FI network, as its called, within a 1,000- foot radius from each transmitter.

"We've been sort of easing along with it, testing it and being careful to make sure we have a good signal," said Chuck Bolin, information technology director at the BPW.

That's why the BPW has been introducing the services to businesses and restaurants on a one-by-one basis over the past two weeks. "We share a 5-megabyte pipe with our traffic at the office," Bolin said. "We don't want it to get bogged down."

The BPW has been giving businesses and restaurants small cards they can place on their tables to advertise the free Internet services and plans to give them window stickers in the near future.

Even before it was made known, however, Bolin was able to monitor occasional spurts of public access meaning people were making use of the free Internet gateway.

Long range plans for the wireless network still haven't been set in stone.

The pilot program will help the BPW decide whether or not to expand the wireless access to other parts of its coverage area.