WiFi
This guide presents a number of free or low-cost options for wireless access. If none of these alternatives fits your particular situation, please email COVID-19@kvcc.me.edu, and a member of our team will contact you about other options.
Turn your phone into a wireless hotspot. Many of our cell phones have a built-in “hotspot” feature that can turn these into mobile wireless access points. There is a monthly fee for this service, though, and your data speeds will only be as good as the typical data speed you’re able to get on the phone itself. Contact your cell phone carrier for more information.
Free internet for students through local Internet Service Providers. Across the country, some Internet Service Providers are providing free home internet access for students. These free connections usually have some conditions, though. For example, the provider usually needs to have service on your road already, and often, you’re ineligible if you currently have some type of home internet service. Spectrum is one of the companies making this offer, and you can find out more by going here.
Free drive-and-park wireless access. Throughout Maine, there are hundreds of free wireless zones you can access from your vehicle. Here are some examples:
KVCC parking lot WiFi. We’ve set up an external wireless access point for students outside of the Enrollment Services Center in the Frye building (map below), with more spots to come. You can pull in, park, connect to KVCC-public, and have a pretty fast and stable internet experience. Please keep in mind that, because the College is under lockout, no access can be permitted inside any of our buildings. We’ve also confirmed that the wireless network at our Buker site in Augusta is reachable from that building’s parking lot.
Waterville Downtown WiFi. If you’re able to get to Waterville, the downtown area provides fast and free wireless connectivity. If you park virtually anywhere on Main Street south of the Fire Station, you can expect download speeds of over 50 Mbps by connecting to “Waterville Downtown Wifi.” Please note that we’re working with other area communities to identify similar WiFi zones.
Fairfield WiFi. This map lists 130 free WiFi spots in Fairfield.
Maine Study-From-Car. K12 schools, libraries and universities across Maine have made open WiFi networks available so that students without Internet at home may continue their studies. You can use this map to find free wireless areas near you.
Public libraries with wireless access. You can view a list of Maine public libraries with wireless access here.
Connecting to businesses. Businesses of all types across Maine provide free wireless access, and often (by accident or design) this wireless access spills outside into parking lots and other public areas. And although many Maine businesses are currently closed, in most cases these wireless zones are still up and running. You can use this map to find free wireless areas near you. The trick is to find a spot that’s close to you, and that can be accessed from outside. This might take some trial and error, but once you find a strong local signal, there’s a good chance it’ll be there for you until the end of the semester.
