Downtown Hollister is in the process of becoming much more
high-tech.
Hollister – Downtown Hollister is in the process of becoming much more high-tech.
A project is underway aimed at turning downtown into a huge collection of Wi-Fi hotspots that will allow downtown businesses and visitors to wirelessly access the Internet for free. The project, being undertaken by Virginia-based Public WiFi Project, relies on sponsorships and advertising from local businesses.
“Our goal was to reduce the cost so low that the city can provide Internet access without charging,” said Jim Guise, director of network expansion for the Public Wi-Fi Project.
It works like this:
The Wi-Fi Project gives hardware – a special wireless router – to participating businesses throughout downtown that have Internet access. Each router emits a signal that can be picked up by computers with wireless cards, under normal circumstances at distances of up to 150 feet.
When there are enough intersecting signals in the area, laptop jockeys will be able to access the Internet free throughout most of downtown. When they do, they’ll see a banner ad across the top of their screen advertising a local business. Ads start at $35 per month.
The Wi-Fi Project recently set-up at Main Street Bistro and Roxy’s Lil’ Cafe and, according to Guise, will work in coming weeks to get more businesses on board.
“It’s physically off the ground right now. We have a signal beaming right now through Main Street Bistro,” he said. “It’s a matter of picking up other areas and expanding.”
The Hollister Downtown Association, which has been working with the Wi-Fi Project for several months, is hopeful that free wireless Internet will attract more people as well as new businesses to downtown and, by increasing foot traffic, get more people to patronize businesses.
“We’re trying to offer it downtown so people open their laptop and use it outside,” said HDA Executive Director Brenda Weatherly. “The idea is to try to make downtown a hotspot.”
The Vault restaurant also provides free wireless Internet access to its customers through its own independent router.
Local Realtors Ray and Peggy Pierce are one of four corporate sponsors who have signed on to support the project to the tune of $1,500 a month. For that investment their ad will appear as many as 1,000 times a day on a tool bar above a user’s Web page.
Ray Pierce also said he thinks the project will draw people into downtown.
“What I see, it makes downtown a destination location,” he said.
Guise said his company was looking for eight more corporate sponsors, as well a businesses that want to have their advertisement seen by people who log-on to the wireless Internet downtown.
The Wi-Fi project has brought free wireless Internet to downtown Morgan Hill and Hampton, Va. It is also working on bringing it to Campbell, in Silicon Valley.
Brad Jones, an owner of Book Smart and Caffe Kafe Vin in downtown Morgan Hill said that a lot of people come into downtown to use the wireless Internet.
“The free wireless has been a draw,” he said.
Luke Roney covers local government and the environment for the Free Lance. Reach him at 831-637-5566 ext. 335 or at [email protected]
