Smithville opens free community Wi-Fi hotspot at Gosport Fire Station in Owen County
Smithville now offering free community Wi-Fi hotspots across southern Indiana in Bloomington, Ellettsville, French Lick, Gosport, Hymera, and Solsberry.
GOSPORT (Indiana) —As part of its continuing focus to serve people impacted by the COVID-19 crisis (particularly in rural areas), Ellettsville-based Smithville Communications, Inc. has opened a free Wi-Fi hotspot at the fire station in Gosport, Indiana, located at 11 N Third Street. This brings the total of free community Wi-Fi hotspots offered by Smithville in southern Indiana to six.
“We must all do our part to help our neighbors in this time of need,” said Darby McCarty, chairman and CEO of Smithville. “Smithville has an obligation to keep our customers, businesses, and fellow Hoosiers connected, and we take it very seriously. Our team is working every day, ensuring Smithville’s network is up and running to keep our customers connected to what matters most.”
The new hotspot is expected to help students in Gosport who are involved in e-learning activities while the physical facility is closed.
Smithville is cautioning users to maintain social distancing and remain in their vehicles when accessing Wi-Fi hotspots. The company also is requesting users to keep these channels open for those in need and refrain from using them for recreational purposes such as gaming or streaming.
In addition to the new Gosport location in Owen County, Smithville’s free Wi-Fi hotspot locations include the Monroe County Fairgrounds in Bloomington, Marci Jane Lewis Park in Ellettsville (Monroe County), the public library in Hymera (Sullivan County), the fire station in Solsberry (Greene County) and French Lick (Orange County). For instructions on how to connect, visit https://www.smithville.com/coronavirus.
“In this time of uncertainty, we want to assure our customers, neighbors, and families that Smithville is here for them,” said Paul Quick, president of Smithville. “By providing free internet access, our company is offering a safe, reliable connection to those who need it.”
About Smithville
Nationally recognized for more than a decade as a Top 100 Broadband Company, privately owned Smithville is Indiana’s largest independent telecom company with more than 200 employees. As a fifth-generation, family-owned business, Smithville has been committed to delivering fast and reliable connectivity and legendary service to its customers for nearly a century. The company is well-known as an industry leader and community supporter for rural Indiana.
Since the early 1990s, Smithville has constructed more than 2,800 miles of high-speed, high-capacity fiber across more than 17 Indiana counties, representing private investments totaling upward of a quarter of a billion dollars, including the recent completion of a $4.5 million, 100-gigabit fiber ring.
In addition to its residential services, Smithville provides commercial fiber-based connectivity for businesses, university campuses, biotechnology companies, healthcare providers, government offices, residential centers, communities, and other entities, including the WestGate@Crane Technology Park and the Purdue Research Park. The company currently serves about 23,000 businesses and residences in southern and central Indiana. For more information, please visit www.smithville.com.
