The Huntsville Public Library’s computer workstations and free Wi-Fi are popular services with library users and now the library is taking that service one step further, letting library patrons borrow devices that will give them unlimited Internet access at home.
“The introduction of taking the Internet home is a natural extension of the services we already provide,” said CEO/Chief Librarian Deborah Duce in a media release.
As of March 27, 2017, Huntsville Public Library (HPL) can check out one of two HPL Hotspots for up to seven days that will provide unlimited access to the Internet for that time period.
“There is no data cap on the devices,” said HPL eLibrarian Julie Manczak. “(Users) can watch Netflix (with their own account) or can stream video or audio. In Muskoka in general, Internet options are limited. People have limited or no access.”
The HPL Hotspots receive signals from Rogers cell towers and any portable devices can connect via Wi-Fi, said Manczak. Users who want to connect a desktop computer can do that via a USB cable.
The devices were purchased with Capacity Grant funding provided by the Government of Ontario for libraries. Throughout the year, the library will survey users of the HPL Hotspots to gather feedback and to determine the next steps in 2018. Depending on feedback and demand, the library may look to purchase more in the future, said Manczak.
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Want a wonderful service! I agree with Sandy McLennan above, it’s all about one’s location. We are in Dwight and our particular address has no line of sight to any tower. Therefore, we only have internet through a ROGERS hub. This is very expensive for a small amount of data. Therefore no Netflix, no downloading, etc. Several houses down, both east and west, they have access to a tower and although not cheap, for $100/month they have unlimited internet. We are just in a bad pocket, even though we are very close to a tower, we can’t use it. I hope Dwight library offers this service in the near future as well.
This is good news. Now if only rural home businesses could get “unlimited” internet access, for the same price per gigabyte as urban homes. Where I live, between Huntsville and Bracebridge and apparently just past the wired tether of either, data costs $120 plus tax if you go over 20GB in a month. That’s with Rogers, but Bell is identical and Explorenet and Vianet may be less but speed is a concern and you’d have to change provider and pay fees. As a video producer, uploading to clients, 20GB is a non-starter (let alone any personal use). I hope that the news I read that wired service is being expanded, is true. There is, in fact, unequal pricing for internet data in our region, solely based on the arbitrary fact of where one’s house is located. As a Rogers rep once said to me on the phone: “that’s why I wouldn’t live there”.