Public Wi-Fi key for residents who depend on stable internet

Apr. 26—Outages and unreliable service can present challenges for those who rely on consistent internet for work or school, but local businesses and community hubs can help bridge the gap when interruptions happen.

Several public spots, like the Downtown branch of the St. Joseph Public Library, offer free Wi-Fi for guests.

Jen Wildhagen, branch manager for the library, said it's beneficial to offer services that allow residents to use their mobile devices at the site, especially for those who have internet connection issues.

"It's available to anyone when they need it. When you think about online banking or school work, business of any kind, or even just recreation, a lot of that, it's all online now," Wildhagen said.

Wildhagen said residents can come into any St. Joseph Public Library location and use the free internet without having a library card.

The library does offer mobile hotspots that can connect to up to five devices and can be checked out for a maximum of three weeks. This, however, does require a library card to check out.

Each person is guaranteed an hour of internet use per day with desktop computers available at the library. Those who have a library card and an ID can have up to three hours of use if others aren't waiting to use the computer.

Wildhagen said there is a long line of holds for these devices.

In general, the library is a place where anyone can work.

"We don't come around and make sure that you're only using it for so long. It's available to anyone when they need it," Wildhagen said.

Along with libraries, many residents flock to coffee shops like Hazel's for their internet services.

Resident Megan DeShon-Runge needs access to Wi-Fi every day because she works from home remotely as a database and outreach coordinator for the organization StopHazing.

She said having access to these services is a great fallback if Wi-Fi issues happen at her house.

"If we do have Wi-Fi issues at home, I'm either here at the Downtown location. It's a huge advantage to our community because I have to have Wi-Fi to do my job when I'm working from home, which is all the time now," Deshon-Runge said. "It's such a huge advantage, and Hazel's and their staff are so sweet and so accommodating, it's a very welcoming atmosphere."

Deshon-Runge has worked in various roles in the education field, so she thinks having access to Wi-Fi at various locations is important for students.

"I think it's really easy to forget that we have, you know, folks in our community that don't have access to high-speed internet at home. That means that some students may not be able to do their homework when they're at home," Deshon-Runge said. "It gives an opportunity for those students who may not otherwise be able to do their homework at home. It gives them the opportunity to get that done."

Riley Funk can be reached at riley.funk@newspressnow.com.