Houston WiFi is a free wireless internet service currently available in the Houston Downtown Business District, as part of the ongoing community development efforts of the City of Houston and the Downtown District. The network was implemented to provide electronic communication for City's new state-of-the-art wireless parking meter pay stations. The high bandwidth capacity of this network allows the City to securely segment excess network bandwidth for the Houston WiFi service.

City Council approved a three-year contract to install the new parking meter system throughout the City of Houston. Working with the City's Information Technology Department (ITD), Parking Management completed the first phase of installing 750 multi-space meters downtown was completed last year. The new technology provides a convenience to citizens and, in keeping with Mayor Bill White's commitment to making City Hall the most efficient and effective in the nation, it helps make parking regulation, management and enforcement more efficient.

The service is available for anyone to use, provided they have what's required to access the Houston WiFi network. To access the network, you'll need a wireless enabled computer or other device with a web browser, and a Houston WiFi Account.

Houston WiFi is primarily an outdoor network. If you'd like to access the Houston WiFi network indoors, you may need to use a WiFi modem to strengthen the signal. An exception to this is the Houston Public Library, where we've installed WiFi access points inside to ensure good coverage throughout the building. Please review our tips on connecting indoors for more information.

The City of Houston is providing free WiFi as a pilot. The City has no long-term service commitments beyond but a long term service commitment may be provided if the pilot is successful in terms of usage and operation.

Unwiring Houston's Downtown District is a way for the City of Houston to support the downtown business, resident, and visitor community.

The Houston WiFi network is primarily an outdoor network. An exception to this is the Houston Library, where we have installed WiFi access points inside to ensure good coverage throughout the building. Please reference our map (may load slowly) of Houston WiFi zones to confirm that Houston WiFi is available from your present location. We have identified WiFi Zone locations where we have boosted the signal strength to provide a good user experience.

We hope that your technical support questions are addressed in our online Help Center.