By MATT NICHOLLS
FREE wireless internet will be available in the mall and other locations next year as Armidale Dumaresq Council prepares to approve a tender for the rollout.
The free wi-fi will be available throughout the CBD, as well as the airport and visitor information centre.
Councillors will vote on the successful tender at Monday night’s general council meeting.
It’s believed the installation will cost the council around $80,000 and operation expenses will be around $30,000 per year.
However, deputy mayor Jenny Bailey said some of those costs would be offset by business partnerships and advertising.
“There’ll be a home page when you log in and that will be an Armidale-based site which will have advertising,” Cr Bailey said.
Council general manager Shane Burns said providing free wireless internet was following up a recommendation from consultant Linda Hailey, who delivered her report on the CBD to the council at the start of the year.
“This is not something new, many towns and cities provide free wi-fi throughout Australia,” Mr Burns said.
“But we think it will certainly add something to Armidale and might give incentive for people to take the exit from the New England Highway and come to our city.”
While most businesses in the mall welcomed the news, one cafe owner was against the wi-fi push.
He said he was concerned people would order one cup of coffee and sit on their laptop or iPad for an hour, taking up precious table space.
He suggested that council set up a covered space in the centre of the mall so that people could sit down and specifically use the wi-fi.
Brisbane visitor Kelly Watson said she would use the free wireless internet service when she returned to Armidale next year to study at the University of New England.
“A lot of cafes have it in Brisbane and I generally use it if I’m going to have a coffee by myself,” she said.
“I see it the same as reading a newspaper, the only difference is I can check my emails and Facebook updates as well as get the news.”
