Miami Dade County Wireless Goulds Park

Free Wi-Fi access now available at South Dade park. A free wireless service has been installed at Goulds Park as part of a six-month pilot project that companies are providing free.

BY JESSICA KIRCHNER

Special to The Miami Herald

Most people only dream of working in a park-like atmosphere. But for South Miami-Dade residents it’s a reality, with the launching of a free wireless service at Goulds Park, 11350 SW 216th St. Now residents can go to the park to do homework, work, or just surf the Web. Residents can access the Internet with a laptop at a picnic table or go inside and use six computers.

The Miami-Dade Steering Committee launched the service Thursday, which is provided by the Wireless Miami-Dade Initiative. The initiative is part of a six-month pilot project, which Mayor Carlos Alvarez said will help residents become part of the Internet age even if they don’t have a computer at home. ”I introduced the Wireless Miami-Dade Initiative with the vision of providing our community with a cost-effective and convenient way to access the Internet and make information readily available to everyone, anywhere in the county,” Alvarez said. ”Our goal is to create an environment that is technologically appealing to residents, visitors and businesses; to reach out to underserved people who frequent our parks with their families and friends; and to establish and maintain community safety,” he added. The service is also being installed at Tropical Park, Tamiami Park, and Amelia Earhart Park. Goulds Park is the third of the four parks to go wireless. Wireless Miami-Dade has partnered with WI-FI providers, Motorola, Nortel, Cisco, and Wialan Technologies. Each park is sponsored by a different company. Goulds Park is sponsored by Wialan. Along with going wireless, Goulds Park has installed six computers in the recreational facility. Even those without a personal laptop are able to use the service. The wireless service is not just for surfing the net. Wireless security cameras will enable the safety of park-goers. In the future, Alvarez is looking to expand WI-FI access to more parks and facilities such as the Metrorail and Metro mover stations.

For more information about the Goulds program, call 305-255-2399.

The 30-acre Goulds Park in South Dade has top-notch recreational amenities, including a 400-meter track, a three-hole miniature golf course, baseball and softball fields, three full-size basketball courts with retractable bleachers, four tennis courts and a 50-meter swimming pool. The state-of-the-art basketball gym is available for rental. The park’s swimming pool is open all year and offers Learn-To-Swim classes for children. There is also a recreation center, picnic tables and, an outdoor patio and grills, available for party rentals.