In April 2005, Dayton became a wireless hot city. One square mile of downtown Dayton, its parks and sidewalks, are now considered a wireless HotZone. While other cities do have wireless Internet, Dayton was innovative in offering this service free to users.

Phase-I of the plan is now in place. It provides free wireless service to all the outdoor space in downtown Dayton, from Riverscape on the north to Oregon District on the south, and Webster Street Station on the east to I-75 on the west, an area of just over 1 square mile.

According to Bill Hill, former Director of Information and Technology Services for the City of Dayton, “In downtown Dayton, a person using a wireless network-enabled PDA or laptop computer should be able to maintain their live connection to the Internet when walking from one downtown park to another or from the Sinclair College Campus to Riverscape or 5th/ 3rd field via Dayton's sidewalks".

When offered the challenge by former Dayton City Manager James Dinneen, it was Bill Hill who worked out the details. The City of Dayton entered into an agreement with HarborLink, P&R Communications and DoNet, a local Internet Service Provider in order to establish the free wireless service. This is the first Public/Private partnership of its kind in the U.S.

Phase-II is intended to expand the coverage area out to the corporation limits of the City of Dayton, an area of 55 square miles. If nearby municipalities provide similar wireless services, it may be possible to enjoy seamless access when traveling between cities.

Phase-III is aimed at reducing city expenses by deploying wireless water meter reading, code enforcement, housing enforcement, fire inspection, and other public safety/service initiatives over the City's VLAN.

DMA, in sponsoring Wireless Dayton Days, continues to promote local-area innovation by helping new wireless Internet users become more comfortable with their new freedom and by doing what user groups do best - mentor and share computer knowledge.

Peter Hess, Chairman
Wireless Dayton Days