It could be time to forget 4G when you're out and about...
People with limited data plans, rejoice; free public wifi is being rolled out across Dublin.
The Wireless Broadband Alliance (WBA), partnered with Dublin City Council announced a successful proof-of-concept trial of OpenRoaming in Dublin, a service that provides free wifi in citywide spaces.
The rollout began at Bernardo Square, Dame Street, and the City Council's Amphitheatre, but the success of the trial means that a city-wide deployment will be on the cards.
The WBA has said that users of the service will not need to constantly re-register and login, while maintaining "enterprise-grade security and privacy".
The service has been rolled out to over one million hotspots worldwide.
“Dublin is at the forefront of a digital transformation that is serving as a model for other municipalities across Ireland and the world," said Jamie Cudden, Smart City Lead for the City of Dublin.
"Collaborations like this are key to the delivery of convenient, reliable and ubiquitous connectivity which is critical for achieving our smart city goals such as closing the digital divide and ensuring that government is responsive to the needs of citizens and businesses.
"This successful trial of WBA OpenRoaming is a milestone toward achieving all those goals.”
The trial was initiated by Dublin City Council as part of its Smart Dublin Programme, and supported by WBA and Virgin Media.
“It’s fantastic to be working with Dublin City Council on such an important initiative," said Aidan Darcy, VP Business & Wholesale at Virgin Media Ireland.
"Given the fact that we are the official provider of both the Wi-Fi and broadband infrastructure, we are able to offer cutting-edge broadband speeds and an exceptional Wi-Fi experience for residents and tourists availing of the new Dublin City Wi-Fi Zones.
"We’re passionate about connecting communities and, with this new initiative, we really feel we’ll be creating connections for good.”
