Firms Open Wireless Hot Spots

— PG Telco and OzarksGo have opened up new wireless internet “hot spots” to provide additional places for internet access for students who may not have internet at home or have signals strong enough for their virtual education.

Gov. Asa Hutchinson closed all schools in the state for in-school instruction for the rest of the year because of the covid-19 outbreak.

Sandy Anderson, marketing and sales manager for PG Telco in Prairie Grove, said the company signed a pledge to the Federal Communications Commission to provide wireless access points, not disconnect customers and to waive late fees during the covid-19 pandemic.

Anderson said the company was already in the process of setting up new access points when it made the pledge to the federal agency.

“We opened up the access to a larger range so people can sit in the parking lot and use it,” Anderson said.

Wireless access is available in the parking lots of the following places:

Rheas Mill Road in Farmington.

Park in Prairie Grove. - way 59 in Summers.

The wireless access points will be available until further notice. These also are open to the public, Anderson said.

Erin Rogers, manager of marketing and communications with Ozarks Electric Cooperative and OzarksGo, said the company has installed fiber optics at First

- ton Woods for Farmington students who live in that part of the district. The access will be available in the church parking lot.

OzarksGo also has added Wi-Fi connections for other school districts.

In a news release, Steve

OzarksGo, said he was glad the company has been able to provide assistance to these communities.

“It has been inspiring to see how our communi

ties are dealing with the

know how important broadband access is, especially now, and we were happy to help with this innovative solution.”

The company is providing these services free of charge to help students and teachers during the pandemic, the news release said.

- neer for OzarksGo, said, “I am super glad to be able to do things like this in these communities — this is why I work here.”