Spectrum Opens Wi-Fi Hotspots Across Los Angeles to Help Wildfire Survivors

After days wild wild fire that have burned thousands of acres in Los Angeles and reduced thousands of homes to ashes, Internet service provider Spectrum is opening several of its Wi-Fi hotspots for everyone to use. They don’t need to log in or create an account – just look for the Wi-Fi name on your device and click.

Spectrum, a regional ISP under Charter Communications, has opened more than 35,000 Wi-Fi hotspots in the Los Angeles area for public use. Anyone can check the area around them Spectrum website and connecting to a Wi-Fi network called Spectrum Free Trial to get online, as KTLA tech reporter Rich DeMuro reported. post on X (formerly Twitter).

Spectrum customers whose equipment was damaged or destroyed wild fire will not be compensated for damages, the company wrote blog post. Those with power but no internet service will receive a credit until they are back online, which will be applied towards their next bill.

Read more: Los Angeles Fires: Donations, Support Services and How to Help Fire Victims

Some ISPs and carriers have stepped up to provide additional services as the wildfires burn. T-Mobile and the microsatellite network Starlink have started their joint venture for a while allowing customers to connect to the Starlink constellation of telephone networks (which the companies has already been rescheduled to help with Hurricane Helene in the US Southeast, last October). Although still in testing, this network of microsatellites will enable users to send SMS messages and receive emergency notifications when outside the T-Mobile network.

Verizon is waived all charges for calls, voice and data usage for prepaid and postpaid customers in the affected states wild fire until Jan. 18, ibid offering a total of $1 million to the American Red Cross and the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation. AT&T is minus additional fees unlimited talk, text and data for Southern California customers through Feb. 15, donating $100,000 to the American Red Cross and matching employee contributions to several charities. The carrier also set up a limited supply of supplies to the public and sent aid to first responders.