https://archive.triblive.com/local/pittsburgh-allegheny/comcast-offers-wifi-in-12-pittsburgh-parks-but-limits-it-for-non-customers/
Comcast offers WiFi in 12 Pittsburgh parks, but limits it for non-customers
Emma Curtis | Tribune-Review
Frick Park on Wednesday, Aug. 2, 2017.
Hikers, bikers and other park visitors will be able to stream music, check their email or scroll their newsfeeds without using their monthly data allowance thanks to 12 newly activated XFinity WiFi hotspots Comcast installed in some Pittsburgh parks.
Comcast says it has 668 outdoor hotspots in Pittsburgh and 1,433 across Allegheny County.
WiFi connections are now available in Olympia Park, McKinley Park, Phillips Park, Davis Parklet, Ormsby Playground and Park, Frick Park, August Wilson Park, Moore Park and Pool, Grandview Park, Warrington Rec Center Playground, Jefferson Rec Center Playground and Ammon Rec Center Playground.
Users can access XFinity hotspots by selecting “xfinitywifi” on the list of available networks on a laptop or smartphone. Xfinity internet customers can submit their login information for unlimited WiFi access.
Non-customers can access two one-hour sessions per month. A connection speed test at Frick Park produced a download speed of 20.5 megabytes per second and an upload speed of 15.1 megabytes per second — fast enough to stream video.
The hotspots are the result of a partnership between Comcast and Pittsburgh that began last year when WiFi access was added to 22 senior and recreation centers .
In addition to the 668 outdoor hotspots scattered throughout the city, many businesses in Pittsburgh broadcast XFinity WiFi signals, which differ from the public hotspots provided by Comcast. A map of outdoor hotspots and businesses that broadcast hotspots throughout the country can be found online at www.xfinity.com/wifi .
“Our customers tell us all the time that they want to stay connected wherever they are, so that's what we're trying to do for them,” said Robert Grove, vice president of communications for the Comcast Keystone Region.
The WiFi devices are mounted on utility poles, Grove said.
Comcast announced this year that WiFi would be available for T riders from Allegheny Station to Station Square. The service was projected to start in June, but it may be a few more weeks until WiFi is accessible for those using Port Authority services.
Emma Curtis is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach her at 412-320-7822, ecurtis@tribweb.com or via Twitter at @EmmaCurtisPGH.
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