Market trader welcomes free wi-fi service for towns plagued by signal problems

FREE public wi-fi for East Yorkshire towns has been welcomed by a Beverley market trader who says she has been plagued by mobile signal problems.

East Riding Council has rolled out the free wi-fi service to key outdoor areas in eight towns, including Beverley, Bridlington, Goole, Hedon, Hornsea, Howden, Pocklington and Withernsea. Driffield town centre is already connected, after wi-fi was installed there in 2022.

Trader Lisa Gray, who runs the Little Cheese Pantry stall in Saturday Market, Beverley, said she hoped that the new service would help boost sales.

She said: “For a while now, there have been signal problems in the centre of Beverley, which has meant many of the traders have struggled to use their card machines. I think the installation of...wi-fi will hugely impact the service our traders can offer customers, and potentially increase sales.”

Coun Charlie Dewhirst, the deputy leader of East Riding Council, said he hoped that the new wi-fi, part of the authority’s ‘Smart County’ programme, would improve internet access for residents, businesses and visitors. “We all know how frustrating it can be when mobile data is not available when we’re out and about,” he said.

“By providing free public wi-fi we hope to improve the way residents, visitors and local businesses access digital services in our town centres, marketplaces and beach fronts.”

The roll-out is being funded through the Government’s UK

Shared Prosperity Fund, which is part of the wider national Levelling Up agenda.

The wi-fi is available 24 hours a day by connecting to the EastRidingFreeWiFi network and entering an email address.

The network then directs users to a ‘Visit East Yorkshire’ web page which features information about the town which they are in.