Public Wi-Fi takes a big step forward
THE prospects of Sligo town benefiting from a free public Wi-Fi service in the near future have taken another important step forward this week as the European Commission’s €120 Million ‘Wi-Fi4EU’ Scheme has officially been launched.
That is according to Sligo Fine Gael Representative Blaine Gaffney who has stated that “he has also been advised this week that Sligo County Council have submitted their application for the new EU scheme, which I believe is great news and which must be applauded as we will be one of the first local authorities in Ireland to do so.
“The EU Wi-Fi scheme will offer 1000 vouchers worth over €15,000 euro to every local authority from across the 28 EU Member States over the next three years. The program will cost in excess of €120 Million to deliver. These vouchers will cover the estimated costs of the required hardware and installation of devices which will ensure that a public Wi-Fi service is available in our towns and villages throughout Ireland and the EU.
“Since 2016, I have been constantly highlighting the need for this public Wi-Fi service to be developed in Sligo. I did this as I had seen these public WIFI systems at first hand in operation in places such as Zaragoza in Spain whilst I was living there during my Erasmus.
“I have seen them in operation in Derry City and most recently in Co. Kildare and I firmly believe that they are really beneficial systems that not only modernise town centres, but also offer many benefits to tourists, shoppers and local businesses. A Free Public Wi-Fi service would modernise the town centre, along with the O’Connell Street upgrade works and the new parking payment infrastructure, and as such all these issue must be advanced in the coming period.”