Downtown Windsor Planning to Expand Public WiFi on Hydro Poles, Coverage Area

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The Downtown Windsor Business Improvement Association is embarking on a large project to expand free public WiFi in the Downtown core.

If approved by Windsor City Council, the coverage area will increase from a small portion of downtown to a large triangular area that spans from Riverside Drive to the north to Giles to the south. Currently the free public WiFi is used by an average of 330 users who transfer a total of around 15 GB daily.

One third of users are at the Windsor International Transit Terminal. Under the proposed updates, the Downtown public wifi will see access points installed on hydro poles at approximately three per block. The DWBIA estimates a cost of about $30,000 for the installation of 60 units (to cover the triangular area) over the next two years.

The DWBIA hopes to see usage of the system increase to 600 users per day and a four-fold increase over two years. The BIA describes the push for expanded WiFi due to an influx of University of Windsor students into the core and for special events such as the 2013 International Children’s Games which will be coming to Downtown.

Plans for this project go to City Council on Monday April 2nd.