Free wifi to be rolled out across Edinburgh city centre
You'll be able to access internet while on the move in the capital.
People on the move in Edinburgh will soon be able to access free wireless internet.
The city council's agreed a 10 year deal with the company intechnologyWiFi to bring free wifi coverage and improved mobile coverage to Edinburgh city centre.
The programme - which goes live from this summer - has been funded by the UK Government's SuperConnected Citires programme, which saw more than £5 million awarded to the capital.
The City Council had been trying to put a similar deal in place two years ago with a different company, but it collapsed when the firm went out of business.
Councillor Frank Ross, Digital Champion, said: “This is great news as everyone will be able to get free access to the latest information on their favourite apps and websites while they are out and about. It will be particularly beneficial for the millions of residents and visitors who enjoy our festivals each year.
“This project is central to the council’s plans for growing the city economy, and encouraging residents and visitors to stay longer and increase their spend.”
Natalie Duffield, CEO, intechnologyWiFi, said: “The awarding of the contract represents a bold step forward for Edinburgh in meeting the demands of its residents and visitors for “always on” connectivity.
‘”In providing seamless, 24/7 internet connectivity to residents and visitors out and about, our network solution will make it second-nature for people in the city to live more connected lives, including accessing live news as it breaks, finding out “what’s on” in real-time, or booking a meal or a bed for the night using the latest offers and promotions available.”
UK Digital Economy Minister Ed Vaizey said: "I’m delighted that Edinburgh have delivered another element of the UK’s Superconnected Cities as part of the Government programme.
"It’s vital that our cities have the digital infrastructure like place to deal with the demands of the digital age. Our investment in the Edinburgh Wireless Concession will deliver a welcome boost to the local economy, and provide an extremely useful facility for residents and visitors alike.”