The demand for constant connectivity is growing and businesses – large and small – are racing to connect with their customers and understand them better by offering them free guest WiFi.
But what about the places in between these businesses? The town centres, streets, parks, bus stops… Here too, people are in need of an internet connection as they try to maximise their commute and free time. Employers and employees are desperate to squeeze in that extra bit of work, check their emails, close a deal whilst tourists, are dazedly trying to figure out what to do, where to go, what that word / phrase is in their language. The internet has become such an inextricable part of our existence, peoples’ lives are difficult without it.
Councils across the UK are slowly realising the growth of this demand and the benefits they could reap. Simply put, free WiFi means more visitors and more money. This means that getting people to spend more time in public spaces could go a long way to regenerating the dwindling high streets. Whilst Britain has been slower on the uptake of free guest WiFi in public places, across the world the initiative has been very successful. Many US cities have free access in some areas, usually the centre and cities across Italy has a similar set-up. The majority of Taipei is covered as is the whole of the city of Oulu in Finland. Oulu’s backers say not only does it improve communication, but it is a useful tool for Oulu’s online government services.
NYCwireless is a non-profit organisation that builds free public wireless networks in parks and open spaces in New York City, including outdoor space covering the area between the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges. “We thought: ‘What if we can bring the internet to the beautiful spaces in New York City’,” says Dana Spiegel, the organisation’s executive director. “We bring wireless to everyone and keep people from being chained to their desks.”
In a recent WiFi survey, the majority of respondents said that they would be more likely to visit – and stay longer in – a place that had free public WiFi so the need for such a facility is clear. As a move, offering free guest WiFi in public spaces could stimulate business and provide a boost to quality of life.
At Inkspotwifi, the process is quick and simple – without endless log in pages. We provide WiFi infrastructure to town centres across the UK, catering to the needs of local governments and the people they serve. We offer a fully inclusive service including all telecoms and set up as well as valuable data capture.
With so much to gain, why not contact us to find out more?
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