The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
City centre wi-fi means you can surf for free by the Tay
Fair City becomes latest to offer service in a bid to attract more visitors
Perth has become the latest Scottish city to offer free outdoor wi-fi as part of an ambitious drive to attract more visitors.
The high-speed public service has gone live – without fanfare – across the city centre following similar successful projects in Glasgow and Edinburgh.
Council officers are testing connection strength before a proper, high-profile launch in the coming weeks.
The scheme is the first phase of a wish list of hi-tech proposals aimed at improving life in the area.
Perth and Kinross Council has struck a deal with Dunfermline-based Rapier Systems to provide the new set-up, fitting lampposts and other infrastructure with wireless technology.
The same company installed temporary wi-fi during last year’s Christmas lights switch-on ceremony.
If the trial is successful, free wi-fi could soon be rolled out to other towns across the region.
A local authority spokeswoman said: “The introduction of free public wi-fi in Perth is another step towards making Perth city centre a more digitally connected city, in line with our ambitions to be a smart city designed for the future.
“The system in its final installation and testing phase.
“It is partially operating in the High Street area and has seen 200-250 users a week over the past two weeks since it has been turned on.”
She added: “Our aim is that it will help people find out what is happening when they are here, check cinema times or find a restaurant to visit.
“Once we have completed all system testing, free public wi-fi will be available throughout Perth city centre.”
The council is investigating the use of so-called smart technology across a variety of areas, including waste collection.
A pilot programme will see sensors fitted to litter and recycling bins which will alert council workers when they need to be emptied.
The idea is to save money by allowing collection crews to optimise their routes, avoiding the need for sometimes lengthy trips to remote locations to empty bins unnecessarily.
The trial, funded by the Scottish Cities Alliance, also involves installing weighing systems and radio frequency identification tagging to commercial bins so their contents can be recorded.
Our aim is that it will help people find out what is happening when they are here, check cinema times or find a restaurant to visit