NORFOLK, Va. — Free Wi-Fi is coming to the Naval Barracks in Hampton Roads.
“It would be really great to have free Wi-Fi,” said Officer Casey Reynolds.
Reynolds is one of up to 4 million Sailors who have access to free high-speed Wi-Fi provided in 12 Navy single-occupancy buildings.
She said this would save her about $40 a month.
“I use it for work,” Reynolds explained. “I log on to my email. The Navy website. I also play games occasionally. I go on my Xbox and play some games. I also use Netflix and the streaming service Roku to just relax and unwind. This is to make it happen.”
WTKR
From February 1st until the end of September, seafarers living in 12 buildings will receive download speeds of 30mbps and upload speeds of 5mbps for free, but they can also pay an additional fee for faster service.
“We are looking to evolve this capability as quickly as possible to improve the quality of life and service for our sailors,” said Jason Dunn, commander of Naval Facilities Command.
Dunn said Hampton Roads was chosen for the Wifi pilot program because of the Navy’s large presence in the area.
“We wanted to do the experiment in these 12 barracks to get an accurate data sample, because if you can do an experiment in a high-traffic area like this, you can do it almost anywhere,” Dunn said. Ta.
Seafarers’ quality of life is an issue tragically brought to light by the suicides of multiple sailors in Hampton Roads.
news
Family of sailor killed by suicide continues to raise awareness for Brandon Act
January 5, 2024, 5:49 p.m.
“No one seems to be doing anything about it,” Terri Caserta said.
On Jan. 5, News 3 spoke with Teri and her husband, the parents of Brandon Caserta, who died by suicide while stationed at Naval Base Norfolk in 2018.
At the time of the interview, his parents had just written a letter to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.
WTKR
The letter calls for increased accountability for unit commanders in the event of a suicide within their ranks, as well as the Brandon Act, which allows sailors to self-report mental health concerns outside the chain of command. The law seeks to raise awareness about the law (after which it is named).
“We’re sick of military suicide,” Terry said.
A Wifi program may help. Reynolds said this will reduce financial stress for seafarers and allow them to stay connected.
“It would be great to be able to log on to your phone and talk to your family,” Reynolds said.
Once the pilot program ends in September, the Navy will evaluate its progress and decide whether and where to expand.
