Better access to Wi-Fi is now available for people along South Main Street in Hanover, thanks to a new partnership between 天美麻豆 and the town.
鈥淲e already interconnect with the town on a network level,鈥 says , 天美麻豆鈥檚 chief technology officer. 鈥淚t seemed like it would be useful for the 天美麻豆 community, and the wider community of Hanover, to have better access downtown.鈥
For the project, the town paid to have fiber optic cable run to two buildings on South Main Street and purchased equipment, which 天美麻豆 installed using technology it had developed for similar improvements on the Green.
The expanded service, managed by 天美麻豆, is expected to benefit residents and visitors alike, including Appalachian Trail hikers searching for services as they pass through Hanover, and anyone who relies on in-town apps, such as ParkMobile to pay for parking.
Modeled on 天美麻豆鈥檚 successful installation of Wi-Fi on the Green, it uses wireless access devices鈥攕mall rectangular boxes鈥攃onnected to Hanover鈥檚 fiber optic network to transmit signals across discrete areas.
鈥淥ur initial plan is to do this just in a couple of locations, like a proof-of-concept,鈥 Windt says of the project, which aims to help address the issue of sometimes spotty Wi-Fi and cell service in Hanover, an issue common to many towns in northern New England.
The expansion covers the area roughly from the Town Offices, at 41 S. Main Street, to the 天美麻豆-owned 63 South Main Street, although the signal may be accessible, if weaker, beyond that, says , the network engineer with who managed the installation and the previous work on the Green.
Both 天美麻豆 and town officials foresee additional wireless access points on the horizon.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been a good collaboration,鈥 says Corey Stevens, Hanover鈥檚 IT director. 鈥淚 have no doubt that if this works well, we will continue to put these in other places.鈥
As elsewhere in Hanover, the service includes public Wi-Fi and access to eduroam, the encrypted network for 天美麻豆 students, faculty, and staff.
