The Smithsonian Insititution announced Monday that it will install a Common Wireless Access System in phases over the next two years, a step which means both free wireless Internet and improved mobile phone reception in and around their museums.

The announcement comes 2 years after non-profit Open Park began a push to provide Wi-Fi across the National Mall, which resulted in three hotspots in the area — a good start, but without the Smithsonian’s cooperation to gain access to their rooftops, Open Park lacked the ability to install the kind of hardware that would create a hotspot big enough to cover most of the Mall’s green space.

The Smithsonian issued a formal Request for Proposals in December for potential solutions to adding Wi-Fi and improved cell phone service in around their museums. According to the Smithsonian’s press release, the contract to design the new system has been awarded to Gulf Coast Real Estate Consultants LLC, a New Orleans-based company. The new wireless access system will be created and installed at no cost to the Smithsonian, which a spokesperson from the institution said means that it will be paid for by multiple local cell phone carriers. The Smithsonian declined to disclose which carriers are involved in the deal, but assured us that more than one would be involved, meaning the improved reception theoretically won’t only benefit Verizon customers, as has been the case on Metro.