Citizens, a Smart Rural Community℠ Provider,
Expands Free Community WiFi within Floyd
Citizens Telephone Cooperative, (aka Citizens) was recently recognized as a Smart Rural Community Provider by the NTCA - Broadband Association. To expand connectivity throughout Floyd, Citizens recently completed the installation of two additional Free Public WiFi locations.
Free Public WiFi is now available at the Floyd Parks & Recreation just off Route 8 as well as the football field, tennis courts, track, and in the old and new gyms of Floyd County High School. In all areas, coverage is very good; giving more access to visitors to these locations. With WiFi accessible in and around the vicinity of Lineberry Park, it is only fitting to expand online access into other heavily populated areas.
Citizens installed a free WiFi access point at the Floyd Parks & Recreation to enable online access to visitors while they enjoy games on the baseball and softball fields. “We have regularly scheduled practices and sporting events. Having public WiFi enables Internet access when needed and will help when tournaments are taking place. The Free Public WiFi gives everyone access when they need it.” stated Jacob Agee, Director of Floyd County Parks & Recreation.
Fans and visitors to Floyd County High School can enjoy WiFi via a free connection at the football, baseball, and softball fields, and parking areas any day after school starting after 3 p.m. The community can also enjoy access at any time on weekends. “As a Smart Rural Community Provider, we (Citizens) wanted to make connecting simple. Users can enjoy a high-speed connection in several places throughout Floyd. Whether you
are enjoying the Town’s music venues, sporting events at the Parks & Recreation fields, or events at Floyd County High School, Citizens has a connection available. You can also stop by Citizens’ office parking lot for a quick upload/download” stated Donna Smith, Citizens’ CEO & General Manager. Signage is posted for easy accessibility at all of the WiFi locations.
“Floyd is full of events and the High School is used for a variety of them, both inside and outside. One example is the upcoming Arts & Craft Festival sponsored by the Greater Floyd Women’s Club on Saturday, October 7. WiFi access is important for the vendors and the visitors. The public WiFi ensures safety and does not infringe on the school’s network.” stated Barry Hollandsworth, FCHS Principal.
All WiFi access points work on a 1Gbps fiber connection -- the same connection that Citizens deploys to residential homes throughout the county as a part of their ACAM Fiber project. The project is slated for completion in 2024. To date, the Cooperative reports the project at 90%. To learn more, members are encouraged to attend Citizens Telephone Cooperative’s Annual Meeting on Saturday, October 21, 2023, at Citizens Multi-Purpose Shelter located at 220 Webbs Mill Road in Floyd.
Citizens is a member-owned Cooperative providing telephone, Internet, and TV to Floyd County and surrounding communities for over 100 years. Citizens’ Business Solutions provides symmetrical Ethernet, data transport, hosted phone services, and more. Citizens is located at 220 Webbs Mill Road in Floyd. Lobby hours are 8 am - 5 pm Monday - Friday; and 9 am - 1 pm on Saturday.