The City of Kirkland is running a pilot program to provide free wireless access in Marina Park and Peter Kirk Park, as well as parts of downtown that are near the parks.  Hopefully this FAQ will answer any questions you may have about the project.  If we missed a question that you have, please send your question via email to wireless@kirklandwa.gov.  As we get more questions, we’ll update this document on our website at www.kirklandwa.gov.

When will the wireless be available? 
It's available now.  Please email us about your experience.

How is the network working?
Most people are having good experiences on the network.  We've received many positive notes from users.  If you have a problem of any kind, please email us a description of your problem and the location you are in when you have the problem.

How long will the pilot run? 
We plan to offer the service from the beginning of this summer to the end of next summer.

What happens after the pilot? 
Throughout the project, we’ll collect comments from users of the service. We’ll learn what it costs to keep the program going throughout the pilot.  The City Council will receive periodic updates, and when we feel there is enough information, city staff will make a recommendation to Council about whether to continue, expand, change, or stop the program.

What is the coverage area for the project?
Marina Park, Peter Kirk Park, and most of the downtown core.

Click Here to download a higher resolution of the coverage map (PDF)


How do I use the wireless network? 
Simply bring your wireless-enabled laptop down, set your network id (SSID) to  KirkWiFi and connect.  Access is free. 

How secure is this network? 
This is a free and open network, which means it is not secure.  We don’t recommend its use for business transactions that need wireless encryption.  This is similar to most networks available in coffee shops or other locations that provide free or low-cost wireless service. 

Will the network reach into businesses downtown? 
That’s a tough question.  We designed it to provide access of the streets and benches, but any wireless network will penetrate into various buildings that it is around, depending on what natural interference like trees and walls exist. Since it is unsecured, we do not recommend that businesses choose to use this network to replace their regular business connectivity to the internet. 

How will the city support this network?  How do I get help if I have a problem connecting? 
The city is committed to keeping the network up and running and working well.  We encourage users to email us with questions and problems at wireless@kirklandwa.gov.  We will post common answers to frequent questions on our website. Yes, we realize that if you can’t connect you can’t send an email at that moment, but we do not have the staff to provide telephone or other direct support to customers.  One of the things we will evaluate as part of the pilot is whether or not we should provide additional support.

I’ve read about other cities like San Francisco and Philadelphia providing city-wide wireless connectivity.  Is the City planning to provide city-wide wireless access? 
Large networks that provide city-wide coverage are expensive.  One possible outcome of the pilot is a significant expansion of the program, which would probably require either extensive citizen support for a taxpayer-funded network or partnership with local internet providers.  We will evaluate those options.  Kirkland is lucky to have a strong telecommunications business sector.  We believe in municipal networking where appropriate, but we also support the success of our commercial providers.  We chose parks and a portion of downtown for the pilot because those are public spaces where we feel access to the internet will enhance the quality of life for our citizens and for visitors to the area.

If I already operate a wireless network downtown, will this network interfere?  We hope not.  The nature of this technology might require adjustments of our network.  Please contact us at wireless@kirklandwa.gov if you have questions or problems.

I am a downtown business owner.  Can I advertise my business on this network?
Not during the pilot.  Some city wireless networks which have for-profit partners include advertising as a revenue source.  This option will be evaluated.  Please tell us how you feel either as a user of the network (Do you mind having ads downloaded to your computer in exchange for free service?) and as a business owner (Would you advertise on a local wireless network?).

Are there any restrictions on usage?
There will not be any restrictions on usage at kick-off, but we may add restrictions (such as two hours usage a day) as needed at any time during the pilot.  We’ll let you know.

How fast is it?
That depends largely on how many people are connected and using it at any given time.  The connectivity is shared by all wireless users and can become slower as more users connect and use the network.  For normal use like checking email and browing the internet, it should be pretty fast - typical pages like news or sports information should load in a few seconds. 

How will you measure the success of the pilot?
We are specifically evaluating both cost and community value. I think it’s fair to say that if we keep the service up reliably, we have a good conversation with the community about whether or not they value the service, and the project stays roughly in-budget, we’ll have succeeded. Since this is a pilot – we’re testing a service – it doesn’t matter if the next steps are to dismantle it, leave it in place, or expand it. It matters if we have a good conversation about it and learn from the project.

You said the pilot project is taxpayer-funded. What is the cost of the project?
Well, we’re not done yet, so we don’t have actual costs. The project was planned for during 2004, and priced based on a specific technology that is no longer even available. The original budget was $114,671 for the approximately 15 month pilot. Almost half of that was for equipment and half for services and supplies (things like installation, signs, etc.). We’ve had to retool the technology completely. We’re still under budget so far, but may go slightly over before the pilot is complete.  More later!

What is the city’s vision for wireless connectivity in Kirkland parks?
We’re hoping this pilot will help us define a clear vision!