Coronavirus Resources: Baltimore County Residents Can Now Access Free Wi-Fi In 10 Public Library Parking Lots
TOWSON, MD. (WJZ) -- Having trouble connecting to Wi-Fi? Baltimore County residents now have a new way to access the Internet, even if they don't have it at home.
Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski announced Monday new resources to access Wi-Fi at Baltimore County Public Library branches to support students and other residents without access to high-speed internet.
"This crisis has upended life in countless ways, and it requires us to find creative solutions to the challenges we face," Olszewski said. "We hope these new Wi-Fi resources will help narrow the access gap as we continue to work around the clock to identify additional resources to support Baltimore County families during these trying times."
The Towson branch already had external Wi-Fi capacity, and now nine new library branch locations have been added.
Residents can access the free Wi-Fi in the parking lots of these 10 branch locations across the county:
- Catonsville Branch, 1100 Frederick Road, Catonsville, MD 21228
- Essex Branch, 1110 Eastern Boulevard, Essex, MD 21221
- Hereford Branch, 16940 York Road, Hereford, MD 21111
- Lansdowne Branch, 500 Third Avenue, Lansdowne, MD 21227
- North Point Branch, 1716 Merritt Boulevard, Dundalk, MD 21222
- Randallstown Branch, 8604 Liberty Road, Randallstown, MD 21133
- Rosedale Branch, 6105 Kenwood Avenue, Rosedale, MD 21237
- Towson Branch, 320 York Road, Towson, MD 21204
- White Marsh Branch, 8133 Sandpiper Circle, Baltimore, MD 21236
- Woodlawn Branch, 1811 Woodlawn Drive, Woodlawn, MD 21207
Residents must stay in their cars or adhere to all social distancing guidelines, the county said Monday, and the requirements will be "strictly enforced,"
"Access to the internet is critical, not just for work and homework, but also for our residents' personal lives: checking in on friends and families is important to everyone right now," said Baltimore County Public Library Director Paula Miller. "Our internet usage within our buildings is typically very high, so we know that there are many residents who may not have access at home. We are thrilled with this solution that enables us to utilize our parking lots to continue to provide internet service."
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If these locations aren't convenient for all residents, they can also visit BaltCo Go-Online Map, to find the closest free internet service to them in the county.
Comcast has also made resources available in its service area, the county said, including free "Internet Essentials" service for low-income families who live in a service area. The service lets residents sign up for 60 days of complimentary Internet Essentials service if they apply by May 13.
To sign up, applicants should go to www.internetessentials.com or call 1-855-846-8376 for English and 1-855-765-6995 for Spanish.
There are also Comcast public Wi-Fi hotspots throughout the county, find locations here.
For the latest information on coronavirus go to the Maryland Health Department's website or call 211. You can find all of WJZ's coverage on coronavirus in Maryland here.
