SageNet Helps Bring Wi-Fi to Downtown Atlanta Park

TULSA, Okla.  – SageNet, a Tulsa-based managed network services and cybersecurity solutions provider, recently partnered with community and corporate leaders to bring Wi-Fi to a popular downtown Atlanta park as part of a program to provide internet access to a diverse cross-section of park visitors.

Located in the heart of downtown, Woodruff Park is a six-acre green space featuring fountains, a performance pavilion and several monuments. Around 5 million visitors enjoy the park each year – including local business people and families, college students, tourists and members of the city’s homeless and underserved community.

Since being awarded a Heart of the Community grant from Southwest Airlines in 2016, Woodruff Park has experienced marked revitalization, benefitting from the hiring of a full-time Park Project Manager, a reinvigorated calendar of community programs, the activation of the Woodruff Park Game Zone on the south end of the park, and strengthened strategic partnerships with neighboring companies and community organizations.

Managed by the Atlanta Downtown Improvement District, a public-private partnership and 501c3 charitable nonprofit, Woodruff Park was able to secure funding for Wi-Fi service thanks to a partnership with Georgia’s Own Credit Union and 100 Peachtree (a neighboring office tower) and funding from the Heart of the Community grant. The “Wi-Fi in Woodruff” program is now offered as a free amenity to the community to enhance the park experience.

SageNet was selected to design and install the park’s Wi-Fi network. After studying the unique challenges of the site, the SageNet team installed the outdoor wireless network in October of 2018 with help from the sponsorship of Georgia’s Own Credit Union, 100 Peachtree and Southwest Airlines.

Providing Wi-Fi coverage in outdoor spaces creates a number of challenges. Trees, structures, fluctuating numbers of users and variations in weather all impact the signal reach and quality. To ensure parkwide coverage, the Wi-Fi signal is broadcast from an adjacent office building to a central bridge within the park. The signal is then relayed to several access points throughout the park’s six acres.

SageNet’s Wi-Fi analytics provide park management with metrics regarding the number of visitors in the park and Wi-Fi usage. Information gleaned from these metrics can help further enhance programs and amenities to better serve park patrons.

“We’re excited to be a part of this unique project that’s further enhancing downtown Atlanta’s vibrant, community-focused environment,” said SageNet CEO Daryl Woodard. “Because SageNet has a local presence and more than 20 years’ experience providing wireless solutions, the city felt we were a perfect fit for the job. And since we handle ongoing management of the Wi-Fi network, we’re able to provide the city a wealth of real-time data on the kind of ‘experience’ they are providing users.”

“Woodruff Park is geographically and figuratively at the heart of downtown Atlanta… it’s where we connect with nature, our city and with each other,” said Woodruff Park Project Manager Ansley Whipple. “SageNet’s expertise and leadership in providing reliable, secure high-speed connectivity was key to the success of our ‘Wi-Fi in Woodruff’ program. We’re delighted to have SageNet as a member of our team.”

Woodard added that this partnership with the Atlanta Downtown Improvement District and its sponsors is a perfect fit for SageNet’s goal to have a positive impact on the communities it works in and serves.

“Our team in Atlanta is always seeking ways to be more involved in the community,” Woodard said. “It’s our hope we’re providing a trusted connection for people in the park as well as for the community as a whole.”

In addition to offering a complete portfolio of wireless solutions, SageNet has more than 30 years of experience providing a broad range of managed network services to large enterprises, from primary and back-up networks, end-to-end digital signage solutions, merchant connectivity and PCI compliance to customized networking technology solutions – all optimized to meet the needs of multi-site operations.

About SageNet

SageNet is passionate about trusted connections. The company believes that by creating, discovering and nurturing trusted connections with its customers, associates and community, SageNet enhances the world that connects us all.

As a leader in managed network and cybersecurity services, SageNet connects, manages and protects technologies and devices across the enterprise. SageNet’s collaborative approach provides peace of mind and systems-confidence that empowers an organization to focus on its core mission.

The company offers world-class service and support via its three US-based 24/7 Network Operations Centers (NOCs) and Security Operations Centers (SOCs), geographically-diverse teleports, a central National Logistics Center, multiple data centers, and a nationwide field service organization.