Free Wi-Fi set for Crown St Mall

Wollongong City Council will press ahead with plans to install a free Wi-Fi service in Crown St Mall after councillors voted 12-1 to back the proposal last night.Councillors agreed to support plans to install the free service between Gladstone Ave and Corrimal St, at a cost of $34,000 for set-up, and $26,000 in annual costs.Two other options - a smaller footprint covering Keira to Kembla streets, and a larger CBD-wide service - were rejected.The service, expected to be set up within months, will complement existing free Wi-Fi in Wollongong Central shopping centre.GPT activated its service in December last year and has already attracted more than 5000 users logging on through smartphones and tablet devices.Councillor John Dorahy, who first raised the prospect of installing the service before last September’s council election, said he was buoyed by the support the idea had received from councillors, council staff and the public since it was formally presented to council last October.He said option two, between Gladstone Ave and Corrimal St, was his preferred starting point in bringing the service to Wollongong.‘‘I believe this will encourage development in the CBD and be a vital part of the council’s plans to revitalise the city centre,’’ he said.‘‘It’s likely this will attract more visitors to the city centre and people will stay there longer to use this service.’’Cr Dorahy said a time frame of two years should be put on the trial period, followed by a review in 2014 with a view to extending the free service to the wider CBD area.Cr David Brown agreed, saying the benefits to the city were twofold.‘‘It’s important to note that part of our reasoning to do this is not just economic but social as well,’’ he said.‘‘Information is an important tool in social equity.’’Independent councillor Greg Petty was the only councillor to vote against the proposal, instead calling for the service to be taken further to include the entire CBD in the first roll-out.He acknowledged the extended option would cost more but said the council could investigate options for recouping some of the costs through selling advertising on the service.