City set to accept Shaw’s offer of free wifi in city public spaces
By Timothy Schafer
Public survey results supporting the institution of free wifi in Nelson’s public spaces and parks was echoed by city council Monday night.
After initially rejecting the offer of Shaw’s Go Wifi service last month, city council did an about face during its regular meeting.
Council had requested city staff to gather more information on free public wifi, including public consultation. Using the city’s Facebook page, a simple, informal two-question survey asked if people would “want to have access to free wifi in public spaces (including parks)?”
Of the 168 people that responded, 75 per cent were in favour (126 people).
A smaller number of people were in favour of if free wifi were made available in public buildings and parks in Nelson, whether it would matter if the service were delivered by a private business or the City of Nelson.
Almost 70 per cent of respondents (109) said it did not matter who provided the service.
City council voted last month against accepting Shaw’s Go WiFi program to provide free public Wi-Fi service in seven public spaces throughout the city — a value of over $100,000 in free infrastructure and technological support — including three popular city parks.
Shaw uses the guest Go WiFi as a marketing tool. Guest users are prompted to enter their email address to gain access to the guest wifi service. Shaw uses the email address to follow up with wifi guests regarding feedback on the service and solicitation of potential new customers.
City staff also received feedback from three municipalities that were currently using Shaw Go Wifi with the following results:
- All are using Shaw Go Wifi as the provider of free public wifi in their public spaces (buildings and parks) and all have separate city wifi networks for staff;
- All had a positive experience working with Shaw during the installation of the network. Shaw was found to be “flexible” (listening to the needs of the city), “very organized,” and a “detail plan;”
- Implementation was completed in a professional, timely manner;
- None went through a public process before providing the service, a demand by the public was recognized by staff and using Shaw Go Wifi was the most cost effective approach to fulfill the need;
- All indicated that public response since the service has been provided has been positive.
The Nelson Library existing, city-supported wifi network was not designed to cover their new spaces effectively (quiet rooms encased in glass, basement) and cannot support the high usage requirements, read a report to council from city director of corporate services, Frances Long.
“In order to address the demands of the public, the existing wifi service must be upgraded,” her report noted.
However, providing a city-supported solution will cost over $6,000 and would require city staff time for its installation. Long’s report noted the Shaw Go Wifi solution would supplement the existing Wifi solution at the library, providing the increased service required at no cost to the city.
The Nelson and District Community Centre management indicated they were in favour of Shaw providing additional public wifi services at their facility. The existing staff-supported wifi was facing challenges because it did not support current technology demands from the public.
“Their preference is to have Shaw equipment meet those demands rather than having to fund and support that technology in-house,” Long said in her report.
Access to free public wifi is an increasing expectation of the public, said Long.
“Using Shaw to provide this service means that the city will incur neither capital costs to install the service nor ongoing costs to maintain the service,” she wrote. “Maintenance of the service will include the need to upgrade equipment as technology continues to advance.”
With the Shaw service, city resources will not be used to provide customer service and support, Long explained in her report.
Public works (parks) have provided their full support for provision of free public wifI in the city parks.
Long noted there may be concerns from some members of the public regarding radio frequency emissions.
“Wifi radio frequencies are emitted with such low power that according to Health Canada, they pose no health concern,” she said.
In a Shaw document entitled Safe Wireless Alternative the amount of emissions provided by various products is measured, with wifi devices and access points on the lowest spectrum of the scale. Emissions from cellular devices were at the highest end of the spectrum.
“And it should be noted that cellular connectivity is throughout the city, including city parks where the public is already connecting electronically using their cellular network devices,” said Long.
Using Shaw to provide the free wifi service means that the city would not incur capital costs to install the service, nor incur ongoing costs to maintain the service, a city staff report noted last month.
“City resources will also not be used to provide customer service and support,” the report read.
Approximately 90 municipalities in B.C. are currently using Shaw Go WiFi.
The agreement with Shaw to provide the service is not exclusive, therefore, if other service providers offer solutions for free public wifi, the city can entertain those partnerships.
Seven service locations in public spaces were chosen by Shaw, selected to fill in their service gaps and focus on where people gather at city-managed locations. Any one of the seven selected service sites was able to independently opt out of the wireless service.
The seven locations included the Capitol Theatre, the Nelson and District Public Library, Touchstones Museum and Art Gallery, the Nelson and District Youth Centre, Rotary Lakeside Park, Cottonwood Falls Park and Gyro Park.
