Plan for free Wi-Fi in Rotherham town centre takes a step forward

Rotherham Council’s cabinet first agreed to the installation of free Wi-Fi in the town centre in 2018, and identified a supplier in January 2020.

However, by November 2020, the council had been unable to enter into contract with the supplier due to “changes within the company, and a general lack of engagement”.

A report considered by cabinet at their meeting today (March 28) states that the pandemic has impacted the timescales “associated with furthering this work”.

It adds that the landscape for the provision of Wi-Fi has “changed considerably”, which has been has been attributed to the market “significantly reducing the cost of personal data bundles on mobile devices and more town centre shops and cafes offering free Wi-Fi to customers”.

The report states that the preferred option for the council to undertake would see an extension of the current corporately managed free public Wi-Fi network to other areas of the town centre.

The market was identified as the priority area within the original procurement, and was a “key area” in which free Wi-Fi would be of benefit.

During the meeting, leader of the council, Councillor Chris Read said: “It’s a shame, I suppose, that the initial plan four years ago didn’t come through in the way that we’d hoped.

“We do provide lots of public Wi-Fi through the libraries, museums and various other buildings.

“This is going to be a practical, logical extension of that.”

Public consultation will be carried out via an online survey.