Free WiFi for media at Russia Winter Games

SOCHI, Russia, Nov. 8 (UPI) -- Journalists at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Russia will not be charged for Internet access, the chief organizer of the games in Sochi said Thursday.

This is in contrast to the 2012 Summer Games in London, where reporters were charged $150 to $240 for the WiFi connectivity needed to do their jobs, Dmitry Chernyshenko said.

At Sochi, he said, journalists will have free 10-megabit WiFi Internet access, provided by Russian communications company Rostelecom, at the media center and all the major event venues.

"This will support a maximally open approach to coverage of the Olympic and Paralympic Games," Chernyshenko told RIA Novosti.

For those needing faster Internet speeds, like photographers who want to send high-resolution pictures to editing desks, there will be an option to pay for a speed upgrade, organizers said.

The Sochi games begin Feb. 7, 2014.