Los Angeles is providing free Wi-Fi to everyone who enjoys going to its parks.
The service was made available Thursday, thanks to a collaboration between the city's Department of Recreations and Parks and American Park Network, according to the Los Angeles Times. The six locations to receive the Wi-Fi networks are Echo Park Lake, Griffith Observatory, Reseda Park, Pershing Square, Cabrillo Beach and Venice Beach.
"It's a way to get families who might not go to a park to go there and share with their friends on social media," said Mark Saferstein, publisher and editor-in-chief at American Park Network.
The Wi-Fi network is called "Oh Ranger!" and lets people use their smartphones and tablets to access m.laparks.org, a website sponsored by Los Angeles, and make free requests for maintenance and other services, Westside Today reported. The hotspots were also reported to have received their funding from Japanese automaker Toyota.
Free Wi-Fi is already offered in other cities, with places such as Santa Monica, Maywood, Miami Beach and Santa Clara offering it citywide. The service is offered in downtown or select neighborhoods in Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Indianapolis, Denver, El Paso, Houston and San Jose.
Designated spots throughout the parks will provide Wi-Fi, with coverage in Venice Beach to include Muscle Beach, the basketball courts and the skate park. Saferstein said that the speed of the service depends on the park, and that while streaming movies won't be possible, park-goers will be able to check their emails and post pictures on social media, the Los Angeles Times reported.
Oh Ranger! is also set to be introduced to New York. Saferstein hinted at a possibility that the service will not only be brought to other parks in Los Angeles, but to other cities as well.
