It's the first time the plazas — grouped in pairs at seven spots along the turnpike — have had publicly accessible Wi-Fi. Agile and the Ohio Turnpike and Infrastructure Commission last week announced a partnership to bring Wif-Fi to the service plazas.
Agile, which connected the system, will manage and support the Wi-Fi. The company's partnership with the Turnpike Commission is an expansion of a relationship that started in 2016 when Agile provided data transport connections for public safety services.
"This year-long project was completed at the perfect time, as thousands of travelers from in and around Ohio prepare for the Thanksgiving travel rush," Kyle Quillen, president of Agile Network Builders, said in a press release.
Quillen called the network a perfect use of Agile's expertise in municipal and government telecommunications. "This is an excellent opportunity to grow our partnership with the Commission," he added.
The first day the Wi-Fi system operated, it served several hundred users, Agile officials said. Each service plaza has signs listing a telephone number connecting to 24-hour support assistance at Agile's network operations center. Agile will monitor and manage all equipment tied to operating the guest Wi-Fi network.
The network has access points installed inside the service terminal, as well as on light poles throughout the parking lot, providing reliable Wi-Fi inside the guest service areas.
Agile — a division of InSite Wireless Group — owns, develops, operates, and manages telecommunication towers and in-building distributed antenna systems throughout the United States. The company uses municipal and state-owned towers, along with wireless fiber and technologies, to connect residential, business, and governmental entities.
©2019 The Repository, Canton, Ohio. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
