Free Wi-Fi boost in Kerry towns

COUNCILLORS have welcomed funding for a free Wi-Fi hotspots programme to be rolled out in the coming months following Kerry County Council’s successful application under the ‘WiFi4EU’ programme.

The EU funds, which will enable each of the county’s four municipal districts to apply for funding of €15,000 for the provision of free Wi-Fi, will be matched by a further €15,000 from the Department of Rural and Community Development. The total cost for the county will be €120,000.

The new ‘broadcasting cells’ will be set up in each municipal district, with each cell covering a circumference area of approximately 250 metres. The four Kerry MDs were part of 49 localities nationwide whice were successful in their applications. The cells will be placed in the main towns and villages of each district with free Wi-Fi benefiting both locals and tourists. The move is also being hailed as a major positive for local businesses, with many towns now setting up e-hubs in response to the changing nature of the workplace.

Some 13,000 municipalities across the EU applied for the funding in November; however, evaluations were carried out by the Innovation and Networks Executive Agency (INEA), and the announcement was made on Friday last. Over 2,800 municipalities across the EU were successful as part of a package that costs the EU €42 million.

Councillor Jimmy Moloney from the Listowel Municipal District welcomed what he called the commencement of the deployment of a number of free public Wi-Fi hotspots for Kerry.

“The service will be free to use with no online advertising or commercial re-use of data being involved. This service will also be of vital assistance to the many visitors to our county,” he said

Cllr Terry O’Brien from the Tralee Municipal District called it a much-needed and overdue service for communities, and that being connected via Broadband is now an essential part of everyday life. “It’s a fantastic initiative, especially in a county where the broadband is so poor. This will encourage tourism. For a county as rural as Kerry, it’s a good news story,” Cllr O’Brien said.

Meanwhile, Sean Kelly MEP said free public Wi-Fi supports the goal of the Mobile Phone and Broadband Taskforce of improving broadband access in rural communities.

“This will have several positive knock-on effects ranging from enhanced access to e-government and participation in democratic life, including for demographic groups otherwise facing difficulty in accessing connectivity, to additional infrastructure for emergency and crisis communications and public service announcements,” he said.