iiNet to roll out free Wi-Fi network in Canberra

Hot on the heels of Telstra’s recent announcement of plans to roll out a nationwide Wi-Fi network, iiNet has today revealed that it has been selected to build Australia’s largest free Wi-Fi network, covering 12 business districts across Canberra, during the coming year.

In partnership with the ACT Government, iiNet will deploy more than 700 Cisco wireless access points throughout the city to create the CBRfree wireless network. The network will be free to use by anyone in the capital’s busiest commercial centres.

Speaking at the launch of the project, iiNet Chief Business Officer Greg Bader said that the network was a globally significant project. “We believe that free Wi-Fi access is a critical part of the infrastructure of modern cities,” he said. “Increasingly, cities across the world are building public wireless networks, with the most successful providing simple and free access for anyone.

“iiNet has shown its capabilities as Australia’s leading provider of public wireless networks by deploying the AdelaideFree Wi-Fi network during the past nine months,” he added. “Today, an average of 200,000 different people use AdelaideFree, each month, while during peak periods, we see as many as 5000 people connected at any one time.”

For Canberra, iiNet will deploy more than 300 Cisco outdoor wireless access points in high traffic areas. These devices will be connected to iiNet’s fibre and VDSL2 broadband network.

The first stage of CBRfree rollout, centred on Civic, is to be completed by October this year. The commercial centres of Belconnen, Dickson, Woden, Tuggeranong, Bruce, Manuka-Kingston, Gungahlin, Weston Creek, along with the tourist precincts of Parkes, the foreshore and Commonwealth Park areas, will be finished by June 2015.

iiNet’s contract also includes a 12-month mobile Wi-Fi trial on five Acton Canberra buses.

The company will further extend the CBRfree public network by installing 400 Cisco wireless access points within businesses across the city, allowing seamless connection inside and out.

One of Canberra’s first businesses to join the CBRfree Wi-Fi network is King O’Malley’s Irish Pub in Garema Place in the heart of Canberra City.

“When I was in the US last year, I found free Wi-Fi everywhere, from galleries to cafes, which made keeping in touch and running my business very easy to do,” said King O’Malley’s managing director Peter Barclay. “I think this free Wi-Fi network will make life easy for people checking sites like Facebook and Instagram and doing business generally. It’ll be great for everyone from residents and students to international visitors.”

Image courtesy Peta Holmes under CC.