The ACT Greens have announced election commitments to trial free Wi-Fi hotspots across Civic, town centres and on ACTION buses.
“The Greens vision is for a better connected Canberra, with better transport options, thriving commercial centres and strong local communities,” said Meredith Hunter, ACT Greens Parliamentary Leader.
“Wi-Fi is one way that people stay connected on the bus and across the city, but it’s also about making Canberra a modern vibrant place that attracts people to commercial districts.
“WiFi is a great technology, and something Canberrans are inherently proud of, due to its development at the CSIRO. This initiative will also complement the roll out of the National Broadband Network.
The ACT Greens will commit $100,000 to a one year trial to:
• Enable free Wi-Fi on a selection of ACTION buses.
• Make Canberra’s bus interchanges into free Wi-Fi hotspots.
• Create free Wi-Fi hubs in Civic, with the potential to expand to other town centres.
“This Wi-Fi Trial is one part of Greens commitment to improving people’s comfort and productivity on public transport in Canberra.
“The Wi-Fi Trial is about building a Canberra that has a modern, convenient public transport system and vibrant, well connected town centres.
“For example, the Wi-Fi enabled buses would allow commuters catching a peak hour bus from Calwell to Civic or from Charnwood to Civic about 45 minutes every morning to use Wi-Fi to read, work, write emails, or access social media.
“While some people have 3G plans, many do not have 3G, or cannot afford a large plan. Free Wi-Fi will assist more people to get connected and commuters to save money on mobile plans.
“Modern cities around the world, from Wellington to New York are establishing public Wi-Fi in city centres and on public transport. For a modest price we can help make public transport more enjoyable for commuters, and make our public space more attractive to visitors,” said Ms Hunter.
Please see initiative proposal at link: http://act.greens.org.au/sites/greens.org.au/files/Wifi%20initiative%20final.pdf
This page was last updated on 29 July 2012
