A new free public Wi-Fi system is to be rolled out across Dublin city.
The new ‘OpenRoaming’ system was initially trialled at Barnardo Square, Dame Street and the area around Dublin City Council’s Wood Quay headquarters.
Following the success of the trial, the system will now be rolled out across the city.
‘OpenRoaming’ allows users to log in once and then “maintain seamless connectivity” as their devices switch between 150 different public Wi-Fi hotspots.
The trial was initiated by Dublin City Council’s "Smart Dublin" programme with the support of the Wireless Broadband Alliance (WBA), Virgin Media and CommScope.
“Wi-Fi is the foundation for smart cities,” said WBA Chief Tiago Rodrigues. “This successful proof-of-concept trial shows that that the city of Dublin and its residents, businesses and visitors all can depend on the WBA ‘OpenRoaming’ standard to ensure that they always have convenient access to seamless, secure, carrier-grade Wi-Fi connectivity.”
DCC Smart City Lead Jamie Cudden said the system puts Dublin at the “forefront of a digital transformation” that will serve as the model for other cities across the world.
“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,” he said.
“This successful trial of WBA OpenRoaming is a milestone toward achieving all those goals.”
Dublin’s smart city goals include:
- Providing communities, residents and businesses with high-quality connectivity and seamless access to services online.
- Giving tourists and other visitors free, secure, high-performance Wi-Fi access.
- Ensuring residents and visitors can enjoy the seamless and secure connectivity they need for interactive immersive learning, research, hybrid study and more.
The new system was announced as part of World Wi-Fi Day which celebrates the significant role Wi-Fi plays in getting cities and communities around the world connected.
