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Public WiFi now at Western Financial Place
Public wireless Internet (WiFi) is now available at Western Financial Place.
On December 5, the City of Cranbrook launched the public WiFi system at Western Financial Place. This free WiFi service will allow users, whether event promoters or guests of WFP to be able access their emails, text and browse the Internet without the need of having a data plan or private service.
“Free public WiFi is becoming the norm in today’s business place whether it is at a local coffee shop, restaurant or public venue such as WFP that is what the market expects,” says Chris New, Director of Leisure Services. “Having free public WiFi available is now a requirement of a growing number of event organizers and promoters and was also identified by the Western Hockey League as a key item to enhance the fan experience. By having this service available WFP will be able to meet the expectations of our customer and the event promotion industry.”
At a cost of just over $8,000 to install, the new system was a joint effort of the city’s Leisure Services, Economic Development, IT and Public Works departments. Local telecom company RBBS Telecom Inc. undertook system design and setup along with training of staff who will manage the WiFi service. The system itself uses the CISCO Meraki cloud-based technology that enables the city to offer the WiFi service without the need for the City to install and maintain a lot of expensive electronics hardware. Instead a set of transceivers located throughout WFP are linked via the internet directly to CISCO’s WiFi network electronics for management and operation of the WiFi services offered locally at WFP.
“I am pleased with the introduction of this new service and commend the efforts of all involved for making it a reality,” said Mayor Lee Pratt. “To move our economy forward Cranbrook must keep up with the changing demands of our market place. This is the simple type of innovation Cranbrook needs to pursue to make Cranbrook a more attractive place for business, visitors and residents alike.”
The new WiFi service will enable users of Western Financial Place to easily stay connected, while at the same time allowing the city to ensure that the free public system is not used inappropriately. Adult oriented content and other such sites will not be accessible through this system. Similarly services such as Netflix and gaming sites that require a large amount of bandwidth will have limited access to ensure a high quality of service for all users.
City of Cranbrook
