Councillor makes Pokemon pitch for free Wi-Fi in park
Players ‘young and old’ inspired Ward 3’s Green to push plan for Gage
MATTHEW GREEN is pitching a Pokemon Go-inspired experiment to bring free wireless Internet to Gage Park.
And if it works in one park, the Ward 3 councillor would love to eventually catch ’em all.
“I campaigned on the idea of providing broader Wi-Fi access across the community,” said Green, who will put forward a motion asking for a feasibility study on the Pikachu-powered pilot.
“Right now, there is a digital divide between those who have (Internet) access and those who don’t … It’s a utility everyone should be able to access.”
Green said the inspiration for the motion came from watching hundreds of people, “young and old” gather in the east-end park to play the popular game on smartphones last week.
Gage Park is one of the city’s most popular spots to catch virtual creatures in the location-based game. Green said he’s happy that Pokemon Go has attracted so many visitors to the area.
But he also sees it as an example of the increasing importance of “digital inclusion” for work, education and play — and the potential for residents to be left behind if they can’t afford a pricey phone data plan.
“If you look at the number of people who still line up at the library to use the computer, you know there is a need,” he said.
Long-term, Green argued, there is a case to make Wi-Fi available in parks, along major transit corridors — think LRT — and even at bus stops. The board member for CityHousing Hamilton also wants to explore making such service available at municipal social housing facilities.
Green’s motion proposes to use “non-tax-levy funding” — such as lease revenues from telecommunications towers in the ward — to testdrive free Wi-Fi in Gage Park.
The city actually studied but ultimately recommended against a plan to extend Wi-Fi coverage to some or all parks in 2013.
But council did vote to spend about $130,000 installing Wi-Fi access points at 26 recreation centres and arenas — and that effort is still underway, said Peter MacNeil, the city’s chief security and technology architect.
Right now, the city provides free Wi-Fi at 133 sites — think libraries, community centres, offices, City Hall and even some public works yards — but not specifically at parks.
The 2013 report estimated it would cost close to $90,000 to extend Wi-Fi coverage across Gage Park, which has a greenhouse with fibre-optic cable access. A single access point or “hot spot” would cost closer to $5,000 to install.
The city partnered on a program in 2008 to extend wireless Internet coverage across the entire downtown.
But the quality of the coverage was criticized and council voted to dismantle the network in early 2013.
London, Ont., maintains a free wireless Internet zone in its downtown with the support of local business.
Mississauga has free Wi-Fi at most of its public buildings and in some parks, too.
New York City recently announced ambitious plans to make free Wi-Fi — and device charging stations — available throughout the city in place of old pay phone locations.
If you look at the number of people who line up at the library to use the computer, you know there is a need. COUN. MATTHEW GREEN