(Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Amazon announced today they are rolling out free two-hour delivery service for Prime members in all of D.C.

The speedy shipping is offered on “tens of thousands of daily essentials from staples like paper towels, milk or ice cream, to electronics such as laptops and Kindle devices,” the company said in a release.

Last year, the company rolled out same-day shipping in D.C. for Amazon Prime members but excluded the four zip codes east of the Anacostia river and another four in Wards 5 and 6, some of which lack full-service grocery stores and might have benefited the most from the service (those neighborhoods are now covered by the same-day service). A Bloomberg investigation found that D.C. wasn’t the only city where Amazon excluded white-minority zipcodes from Prime’s same-day shipping service.

When asked if the more expansive coverage with this roll-out had anything to do with the ensuing criticisms, Amazon spokesperson Amanda Ip hedged, saying the company “always tries to serve as many of its customers as it can” and give “the best experience they can possibly give them.” She said the company does a lot of testing before launching new services, and that traffic patterns and geography play a large role in determining where fast shipping services can be offered.

The company also started charging sales tax in D.C. in October, sparking speculation that they will soon open a brick-and-mortar store.

The Amazon Prime Now delivery service already launched in Northern Virginia and parts of Southern Maryland in August. It is available for free on orders of $20 or more from 8 a.m. to midnight seven days a week throughout the greater D.C. metro area.

When asked about further expansion plans, Ip said she was unable to give exact times and locations, but noted “our customers are loving super fast delivery and we’ve been expanding rapidly around the country and we expect to continue doing so.”

The very first Amazon Prime Now delivery made this morning was to expecting parents and nurses at the Washington Hospital Center, Ip said. An Amazon associate, who is out on paternity leave and is expecting a child at any time today, put in the very first order for coffee and treats.