KALAMAZOO, Mich. — Six Kalamazoo parks now offer free WiFi access to residents, part of the city's digital advancement efforts that recently earned recognition.
The parks with new WiFi access include Upjohn, La Crone, Milham, Rockwell, South Side, and Spring Valley parks.
"WiFi here at the parks here, pretty good. Something the kids can use and they can come out, and also, the neighborhood. People who might not have internet access," Dion Stephenson said.
Stephenson, a Kalamazoo neighbor, welcomed the addition at Upjohn Park.
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Tim Dubois, Chief Information Officer for the City of Kalamazoo, said the initiative reflects the city's commitment to improving services for residents.
"We're doing a lot of work for the people of Kalamazoo. With that, as our goal—to make cities better for the people of Kalamazoo," Dubois said.
The city partnered with T-Mobile to implement the WiFi service at minimal cost to taxpayers.
"We had a great partnership with T-Mobile. It worked out great. Very little cost to the city, by the way, for folks who are concerned about that," Dubois said.
The city plans to expand WiFi access to three additional parks in 2026, which includes the Farmer's Market.
The WiFi expansion is among several digital and IT initiatives that earned Kalamazoo recent recognition for its technological advancements, by the Digital Cities survey.
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