Free Wi-Fi Goes Live In Abingdon

ABINGDON, Va. – Town officials cut the wire Wednesday on the first phase of its free wireless Internet system, which extends from the police station to the courthouse and covers the heart of downtown.

“Back in 1995, our congressman suggested that we should get into the Internet business, so we worked out a deal with the telephone company and did an experiment,” said Town Councilman French Moore. “We’ve been working on it ever since.”

He said Abingdon later became the first municipality in Virginia with a wireless system.

“You can just go onto it; it’s free to anybody,” Moore said. “This is where we are today, and who knows where we’ll be tomorrow.”

Information Technology Director Floyd Bailey said the system will also help with emergency services communication in town and two more phases of the project are scheduled to come online in the next two years.

According to a map of the project, the second phase will cover the west end of town beyond Exit 14 to the Washington County Fairgrounds and some areas south of Exit 17 on state Route 75. Bailey said it will be completed a year from now.

The third phase, which will cover the east end of town and beyond Exit 19, is expected to be completed in about two years.

The large group of visitors in town this week from Abingdon, England, was on hand for the event. Abingdon, England, Mayor Pat Lonergan helped Bailey and Abingdon, Va., Mayor Lois Humphreys with the formalities before logging on from a PDA.

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