Perth will become the first capital city in Australia to receive free blanket Wi-Fi access in its central business district (CBD).
According to abc.net.au, other Australian capital cities already have access to free Wi-Fi but residents and visitors have to depend on hotspots. Blanket Wi-Fi means users have an uninterrupted connection – even when they’re moving around the city.
At first, residents will be able to access the Wi-Fi in St Georges Terrace, the Murray and Hay Street malls, Forrest Place and the adjoining streets. Furthermore, tourist areas such as Barrack Square and Stirling Gardens will also have access to the network, reports yahoo.com.
Those who use the service can connect to it for an hour. After that time period has passed they will have to reconnect again in order to continue using the Wi-Fi.
Lord Mayor of Perth, Lisa Scaffidi, said it is hoped that the move will boost tourism to Perth; as users will be sharing images online over the free service.
“Free public Wi-Fi is a key economic driver that will further enhance and encourage business and enable visitors to enjoy their city experience even more,” she explained. “We’ve set the bar highly with our free internet coverage in the CBD and we will continue to expand this network over time to other key city precincts which will eventually include the Perth City Link area, Northbridge and East and West Perth.”
