When one thinks of the beach, a laptop computer isn’t usually atop the list. Sure, a writer here or there might want to accomplish something in the serene environment, but for the most part beaches are not normally associated with computers. That might change, at least in Long Island, as a number of municipalities have installed Wi-Fi hotspots on the beach. The town of Babylon has implemented the service at four of its beaches, and plans to expand this to pools, all beaches, and parks eventually. The service, like most Muni-Fi, is free.
This flies in the face of many Mini-Fi projects which have failed in the recent past, including on in New York City. According to the Long Island Press article, the keys to the project were the low costs — just $75,000 to install the hotspots — and a federal grant, thereby taking the burden of cost off the local taxpayers (though, ultimately, if the money came from the federal government then we all paid for it).
This presents an alternative for Long Island residents who don’t use Cableivision. The company has placed Wi-Fi hotspots throughout Long Island, though it’s not clear whether they cover the beach areas of Babylon. In any case, the free service will be welcomed by many. There are even plans to partner with a local restaurant for free laptop rentals.
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