Chicago Parks To Expand WiFi; Niles, Morton Grove, Park Ridge Offer Limited Amount

Chicago Mayor Rahn Emanuel has announced plans to offer Wifi on a large scale in parks and public spaces, according to Huffington Post, which reports he calls his plan the "Chicago Broadband Challenge" and says it will help economic development. 

To compare, we thought we'd check what local suburbs offer in the way of wifi.The conclusion? It's limited, with some districts offering more than others, and little in the way of grand plans to roll it out.  

Here's a breakdown of who offers what:

• The Park Ridge Park District offers a free Internet connection in several of its facilities, including the Maine Park Leisure Center (on Sibley), the Community Center/Fitness Center (on Touhy and Western), the Oakton Ice Arena and the Senior Center, according to Kathie Hahn, marketing director.
• The Niles Park District has wifi in the Tam Tennis & Fitness Club building and has plans to offer it in the Golf View Recreation Center building in the future, according to Joe LoVerde, executive director.
• The Morton Grove Park District offers wifi in its main building, the Prairie View Community Center, on Dempster, according to Sue Braubach, marketing director. 

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