This week in Japan, the city of Osaka rolled out a new initiative offering free wireless Internet citywide. Apparently this is a big deal for Japan as free to use Wi-Fi hotspots are few and far between.
The Osaka initiative is primarily aimed at aiding tourists in the city and reminds me of an initiative that Whistler had been looking into during my time there as a reporter. Hoping to provide guests and residents with even more of reason to stay in the village, Whistler officials looked into the feasibility of covering the entire village in delicious, free Wi-Fi. When it was learned it would cost around $500,000 to implement with an annual operating cost of $250,000 Whistler council backed down, but the intent was commendable.
Elsewhere in Canada, several cities offer free Wi-Fi at downtown cores or city-run facilities. The City of Edmonton offers it to anyone at many city parks and recreation centres while Windsor's business improvement association maintains a free network throughout its downtown core.
In Surrey, free Wi-Fi is available at libraries and city hall, but will we ever see it across the city? Due to Surrey's geographic size, the likelihood of this coming to fruition anytime soon isn't good, but as the demand grows and people become increasingly attached to their devices (for better or worse), businesses and cities alike are seeing free Wi-Fi as a key method of keeping customers and residents happy.
This week in Japan, the city of Osaka rolled out a new initiative offering free wireless Internet citywide. Apparently this is a big deal for...
via WiFiNovation | Scoop.it
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