Providing free internet access in Coeur d’Alene is like a walk in the park.

More specifically, a walk in McEuen Park.

The 22.5-acre public space, which has provided Wi-Fi coverage since its $20 million grand reopening in 2014, recently received improvements to its free internet service, making it faster, stronger and more reliable.

“It works great,” said Samuel Lui, who was strolling through the park on Friday. “It’s very quick and it’s reliable.”

Over the past 10 years, the number of people using smartphones, tablets, and laptops in public spaces has grown dramatically. As more visitors relied on the park's Wi-Fi, it became clear the system needed an upgrade, according to Intermax Networks, which provides the free internet services. 

"We were doing a lot of work with the city while they were rebuilding the park," said Brandon Jett, ISP Field Technical Lead – Customer Experience at Intermax Networks. "The Fourth of July was coming up with all the fireworks, so we put up free public Wi-Fi to help the city out and help get our name out there."

The new system provides stronger, more consistent coverage throughout McEuen Park, helping visitors stay connected whether they're relaxing by the waterfront, attending an event, or spending time at the dog park, Intermax Networks said.

"The old system was great for the time it was deployed," Jett said. "But the Wi-Fi environment has changed since then, and it wasn't covering the area like it used to. After discussing the current system and its need for an upgrade, the project was approved."

Drew Meyer, Intermax Networks chief marketing officer, said a big reason why it has partnered with the city of Coeur d’Alene to provide free internet access at McEuen Park is that “we’re born and bred here” and that it has been “steadily growing for 20-plus years.”

“Our talented techs perform heroic feats all across the region from gassing up mountaintop generators after windstorms, fixing accidental cable cuts at Schweitzer, climbing and thawing icy antenna tower equipment, and delivering redundant connections to the global Internet in Seattle,” he said.

At McEuen Park, connecting is simple. Visitors select the free public Wi-Fi network, accept the terms and receive up to eight hours of internet access before being asked to reconnect. The upgraded network is fast enough for everyday activities like browsing the web, posting on social media, streaming videos, or making video calls.

McEuen Park isn't the end of the project.

Intermax is already planning additional public Wi-Fi improvements at the Prairie Avenue Farmers Market and the St. Maries Library, it said. The company also hopes to bring reliable Wi-Fi to more community events and gathering places in the future.

Among its various amenities, the Wi-Fi keeps bringing Lui back to McEuen Park.

“I love coming here because I love hiking Tubbs Hill,” Lui said. “(Wi-Fi) is always good to have.”