Stuart GouldenYork’s free city centre Wi-Fi trial has proven an instant success with shoppers and local businesses, registering over 1,000,000 hits since it was launched on 14 November.
Councillor Julie Gunnell said: “This service really puts York on the national electronic map and I’m delighted that the service has now had over 1 million hits [accessed via a login agreement]. We know that it’s been a bumper Christmas in terms of footfall and the figures show that the trial is proving really popular. York is well known for its iconic buildings and colourful history, but it’s also a dynamic, innovative city and it’s fantastic that residents, visitors and local businesses can all benefit from this trial.”
As we reported at the time of launch, the City of York Council are piloting free Wi-Fi in St Helen’s Square and Coney Street (an area blessed with a handful of bars and coffee shops, but arguably modest street furniture), right in the heart of the city. As a city that prides itself on its heritage, cobbles and beauty; it is exciting to see York embracing modernity in order to attract more visitors and business.
The Digital York scheme (funded to a tune of £30,000 from existing Council budgets) is part of City of York Council’s Reinvigorate York Initiative, which aims to enhance the quality of the city’s public spaces. Following the trial, local businesses will be consulted on their experiences and views as to whether the free Wi-Fi was successful. The long-term plan includes extending the zone across the area inside the city walls, which is estimated to cost anywhere up to £1m. Of course, many will question whether it is a justifiable expenditure of tax money during the current economic climate.
Internet access is part of everyday life to the majority of British people, however, as we reported earlier in September, according to Joseph Rowntree research 8.7 million UK adults have never been on the internet. The need to include people from all social backgrounds is important for future progression and digital inclusion. The decision to offer free Wi-Fi in York city centre will go some way to achieving this in our local area, as well as bringing improvements to the city as a whole.
To put the early York figures into perspective, I recall a similar initiative launched in my hometown of Norwich covering three sectors of the city and its centre in 2006. By comparison it boasted “1,800 connections in the first week, more than 2,500 in the second and 3,000 in the third.” Granted there were far fewer internet-enabled devices six years ago (for example, the first iPhone launched in 2007), but it is a reassuring validation of the success of the York initiative and perhaps a good indicator that the trial might lead to bigger ambitions.
Have you used the free Wi-Fi yet? What did you make of the service and connection?
