FREE public WiFi in the Mall could become a reality with Armidale Dumaresq Council set to vote on the recommendation at Monday’s Council meeting.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The plan, first mooted in January last year, is for a joint project between Council and the University of New England.
Council officers have recommended adopting the plan to install and operate the system in the Mall, Armidale Regional Airport and the Visitor Information Centre.
The proposal would mean two service-set identifiers would be broadcast, allowing the university to have its own network and Council to have another.
Users would be directed to a landing page to access the network on their device, with UNE students able to access the university network off campus.
The landing page could contain advertising space and details about local events.
Council’s acting general manager Glenn Inglis said he believed the project was a good deal, with a lot of interest over its implementation.
The partnership would mean costs, equipment and infrastructure would be shared.
“It is a perfect opportunity to do it together,” he said.
Mr Inglis said the university would be providing the hardware to establish the network, while Council would be providing the infrastructure for the project, a lot of which Mr Inglis said would be existing poles.
There would be few upfront costs to Council, with the plan predicted to have cost up to $45,000 if Council went alone.
Mr Inglis said the university also benefitted financially as it would not have to lease the infrastructure from the Council to install its system.
The benefits would not only extend to the Council and university, with the business community in discussions about possible advertising opportunities.
Mr Inglis said he held a meeting with the Armidale Business Chamber which expressed its enthusiasm with the proposed project.