Minneapolis has city-wide WiFi, which is available on a subscription basis. But during the bridge collapse, USI Wireless (which runs the system) did something absolutely right: it opened the system for free. USI Wirless then put in more WiFI capability in the area near the bridge collapse as well to ensure a strong and fast signal. It also installed three WiFi cameras at the scene and provided a live feed to the command center. Wireless web usage on the network jumped sixfold during the disaster, and USI Wireless says the network worked perfectly. Citywide WiFi is often pitched as a security need during disasters and if this was any sort of test, it proved very helpful.
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