Free WiFi hotspots available at various parks and recreational areas around city

It’s springtime! Time to pick up your laptop and head for a Danville park. It’s true: There are many WiFi locations, or “Hot Parks,” throughout the city that now have free access to the Internet.

In a partnership between the Utility Department, the city’s Information Technology Department and the Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism, public access “hotspots” have been installed in most area parks.

“There is access at Ballou Park, Anglers Park, inside and outside the visitors center, Carrington Pavilion and the Community Market,” Jason Grey, broadband network manager, said Wednesday.

Plans are to have access at the Dan Daniel Park soccer and softball fields this summer.

He said a lot of the “Hot Parks” have been in place since last September. In fact, when Joe Biden, then the vice-presidential candidate, came through Danville during the campaign last fall, the press corps used the WiFi access at Carrington Pavilion.

Grey said it is easy to hook into the broadband, which is made available through the Network Danville, or nDanville, project, the city’s fiber optic broadband network.

“There are no security codes or passwords needed to connect,” he said. “Just bring up the network connections list on your laptop and you will see ‘nDanville Hot Park.’”

With spring coming, the city wants to get the word out to the public that they can follow a game or even check their email while watching a game or enjoying the outdoors.

“We want to let people know, especially since it’s springtime and more people will be going to the parks, that there is more than just park benches and bike paths — now there’s broadband,” Grey said.

For maps of where the Wi-Fi is available, go to http://www.danville-va.gov and then to “Departments,” then “Utilities,” “Telecommunications” and “Danville Hot Parks.”