In April of 2003, Port City Web president and CEO, Erik Crago, was brainstorming with fellow eCoast Board member Scott Campbell about things the eCoast Board could do to positively impact the community. Crago and Campbell decided that offering free Wi-Fi wireless Internet access would be a tremendous boost to Portsmouth and highlight the entrepreneurial spirit of the eCoast. In June of 2003, the first free Wi-Fi hotspot was launched in downtown Portsmouth, NH. BayRing Communications provided the Internet access; The Greater Portsmouth Chamber of Commerce allowed the Wi-Fi equipment to be placed in their information kiosk; Campbell's company, Buzz on a Budget, provided the PR; and Crago's company, Port City Web, provided the Wi-Fi access point, as well as the websites www.ecoastwifi.org and www.portsmouthwifi.org.
"When we came up with the idea to offer free Wi-Fi, I wanted to make sure that all services would be donated by local companies, and that the Wi-Fi would add value to the City of Portsmouth. In order to measure the value of the free Wi-Fi, we implemented a survey to ask people why they were using it and for what reasons. I also saw offering free Wi-Fi as a great way to show people that Portsmouth is business friendly, and reach out to tourists who wanted to get online to check email. Based on our usage statistics and the feedback, as well as this funding for growth, we accomplished much more than we set out to do 4 years ago," added Crago.
As the Wi-Fi project grows to the next level, there are new companies involved with the expanded development. Those companies include BayRing Communications, Single Digits, Port City Web, Buzz on a Budget, Summit Technologies, Cisco Systems and the University of New Hampshire Interoperability Lab, as well as the City of Portsmouth and The Greater Portsmouth Chamber of Commerce.
