The City is working to improve public access and transparency to online information. Offering a free public wireless network will improve access to information on City services, facilitate citizen engagement, and help to bridge the digital divide by providing broadband access to underserved populations.
Purpose and scope
Increase public awareness and facilitate the ease of use to the City’s free wireless network by establishing a standard SSID for all City-owned and operated public wireless networks.
Several City departments offer free public wireless access. To date, each department has established its own Service Set identifier (SSID), which is a unique identifier that differentiates one network from another. As the City continues to expand its public Wi-Fi service, a standard SSID will enable the public to identify the City-provided network and to ensure seamless public access to network segments in different locations.
Policy statement
The SSID for all City-owned and operated public wireless networks shall be:
_ San_Francisco_Free_Wifi.
All City-owned and operated public wireless networks located in the City and County of San Francisco must use the City SSID standard. City Agencies with existing SSIDs for public Wi-Fi networks can continue to use their existing SSIDs. All new public wireless networks must use the City standard SSID. If possible, SSIDs in use at the time of the adoption of this policy should be modified include the City standard SSID.
The standard City SSID is subject to change with the approval of the Architecture and Policy Subcommittee and Committee on Information Technology (COIT).
List of existing SSIDs for public Wi-Fi networks:
- SFPL-WIRELESS (LIB)
- CTY_ATT_Guest (CAT)
- SFO-Public (CRT)
- SFHAwifi
- Academy-Guest (SCI)
- CCSF-DBI (DBI)
- CityHallWifi
- Deyoungnet (FAM)
- CityPlanning-Guest (CPC)
- CCSF_BOS (BOS)
- Lohnet (FAM)
- 525GGLobby (PUC)
- AAMG (AAM)
- UCSF_Guest (DPH)
- #SFO FREE WIFI (AIR)
Compliance
If a new SSID is created by a City agency for a public Wi-Fi network and has not been granted an exception to the policy, the co-Chairs of the Architecture & Policy Subcommittee will inform the City CIO and contact the department IT manager to enforce this policy.
Exceptions
Exceptions to the City SSID standard can be granted by COIT upon request by a department. Requests outlining the business requirements for the exemption request shall be submitted to the Architecture and Policy Subcommittee for consideration.