GRAND RAPIDS, MI – Free public Wi-Fi soon will return to Rosa Parks Circle, the city park at Monroe Avenue and Monroe Center NW. Grand Rapids City Commission's fiscal committee on Tuesday, Jan. 8, OK'd a 1-year deal with iserv to provide access.

The Grand Rapids-based Internet service provider is ready to activate the Wi-Fi as soon as it gets final city approval, spokeswoman Amanda Passage said. The full commission is expected to authorize the deal at its 7 p.m. meeting.

The Wi-Fi will be free to the public, with no fee to the city. The city will provide power.

“They’re just going to plug in and broadcast (a signal) like you would at home,” said Paul Klimas, the city’s director of information technology.

Free public Wi-Fi was provided at Rosa Parks Circle and some other downtown locations during ArtPrize 2012, courtesy of iserv. Nearly 10,000 unique visitors used the free Wi-Fi during the competition, the company said.

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