Regina has it, so does Saskatoon and Moose Jaw, Chicago, New York and Fredericton and even tiny St. Albert, Alta. -- these communities and others offer their citizens free wireless Internet in their downtown areas and sometimes right across their community.
But the City of Winnipeg won't be joining that group of communities.
City officials announced this morning a deal with MTS Allstream that will see wireless Internet (also known as Wi-Fi) available for a fee at all public libraries and the Pan Am Pool.
Mayor Sam Katz said during a news conference at the Millennium Library that Winnipeg is embracing evolving technology -- and sharing the profits with MTS Allstream.
"The City of Winnipeg is proud to seize technological advancements to benefit our citizens," Katz said during the news conference.
The deal gives MTS Allstream exclusive rights to offer Wi-Fi service at all 20 public libraries and the Pan Am Pool. In exchange, MTS Allstream will kick-back to the city a percentage of sales from each location.
Clive Wightman, the city's director of community services, said the financial arrangement will ensure the city recovers the almost $23,000 it spend wiring the 21 civic properties for Wi-Fi service.
"We'll recover our costs in a short period of time," Wightman said.
Wightman said that MTS Allstream was awarded the contract for Wi-Fi service following a public tendering process. Wightman said several other firms submitted bids, but added the MTS Allstream was judged the best.
Wightman would not disclose what percentage of revenues the city will receive on the Wi-Fi service, adding that's confidential information that MTS Allstream's competitors could use against it in the future.
Wi-Fi service is already available at several downtown locations -- mostly coffee shops -- and other spots across the city, all of them a fee service. Al Pritchard, the Library co-ordinator of IT services said there were between eight and 10 existing Wi-Fi networks that can be accessed from the fourth floor of the Millennium Library where the morning news conference was taking place.
The city-MTS Allstream deal will provide wireless Internet users free access to the city of Winnipeg web page and the public library web page. Users can buy wireless time from the 21 facilities at a discounted rate of $3 per hour, compared to the MTS Allstream basic charge of $4.95 per hour.
aldo.santin@freepress.mb.ca
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