RAGBRAI riders may be on bicycles but that doesn’t mean they don’t want to be “wired.” To meet the need of the riders to stay connected, Jefferson Telephone Company is providing a “WiFi” hotspot at the Greene County fairgrounds where the main RV campgrounds will be headquartered.

For riders with laptops fitted with a wireless transceiver, high speed Internet service will easily be at their fingertips. This WiFi installation is the first in a public area of the community, according to Jim Daubendiek, president of the Jefferson Telephone Company. Wireless connection will also be available in the Jefferson Public Library.

With the influx of 20,000 cell phone toting riders staying in Jefferson Monday, July 21, U.S. Cellular and Verizon saw the need for additional cell transmission capacity. In fact the two carriers are tripling their call handling capability for the day.

Meanwhile, Iowa Telecom, a “corporate friend” of RAGBRAI, is also bringing in one or more of its trailers equipped with free-long distance phones and free use of Internet-connected computers, according to Jefferson RAGBRAI co-chair Chuck Offenburger.

More land-line phones will also be available for use by riders, courtesy of the Jefferson Telephone Company, at the fairgrounds, the Jefferson-Scranton High School campgrounds area and near the Jefferson Swimming Pool.

Daubendiek also confirmed that the phone company’s unique phone museum, located in the company’s building at 105 West Harrison, will be open on July 21 for tours.