The Dunedin City Council is considering funding free wireless internet zones in the Octagon.
I mentioned in a post yesterday, Spain and France seem to be well ahead of New Zealand with the provision of WiFi but it’s businesses doing it, not councils.
In 2005 there were three internet cafes in Vejer de la Frontera and all were busy most of the time. Now there’s just one and it also sells and services computers and accessories and also does printing.
That’s because WiFi in hotels and cafes has lessened the demand for internet cafes. Not everyone travels with a laptop so there is still a need for cafes, but it’s not as great as it was.
Homepaddock 
I think that the total cost of $16900.- for the first year is good value for money.
Not only for business but even more so for the tourist industry.
Staying in touch with the homefront as well with the workfloor on a very regular basis seems to be all part of taking a break these days and is made very easy with hand-hold devices such as blackberry’s.
So if checking your e-mail while zipping a latte at a cafe at the octagon is made as simple as A,B,C this got to be a drawcard for tourists and traveling business people.
But than the question rises if providing free Wi-Fi is up to the council instead of entrepreneurs….the problem with “free Wi-Fi” provided by entrepreneurs is that in exchange of “free Wi-Fi” data gathering could take place which could be sold on, or they force you to interupt you web session to watch an on-line 15-30 sec. advertisment.
Therefore,to protect my privacy (as far as possible these days…) I would be happy to go with the council provided Wi-Fi.
Interesting overseas data about the use of Free Wi-
Fi in Seattle can be found here http://www.seattle.gov/html/citizen/wifi.htm
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Um, but the proposal includes the possibility of paid advertising on the Council sponsored free wireless…
The total cost also neglects to include the cost to existing providers through lost business.
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