After several months of focused effort on the part of the Mathews Broadband Advisory Board, and thanks to CARES Act funding, seven Smart Poles have been installed at various locations in the county, providing free on-site Wi-Fi access to anyone who needs it.

Access is simple. Just drive to within 600 feet of one of the poles and any Wi-Fi-enabled device will detect the signal. Go to the device’s Wi-Fi menu and select the network “Mathews C.A.R.E.S.” The device, whether a smartphone, tablet, or laptop, will connect without a password, providing speeds of 25 Mbps down and 3 up.

The poles have solar lights for safety and identification at night.

Advisory board chair Judy Rowe was jubilant on Friday, when she finally could get a clear Wi-Fi signal from each of the poles and could announce their rollout.

Only one pole remains to be brought online, said Rowe. The one located at Bethel United Methodist Church on Garden Creek Road still needs to be installed, but the weather has b...