Dundee Waterfront will offer up free public wi-fi from summer next year, according to Lib Dem councillor Fraser Macpherson.
The West End representative said he has been informed by a senior official in the council’s finance and support services department that the service is likely to be delivered in the area at around the same time of the opening of the new V&A Museum.
In what is believed to be a first for a Scottish council area, the wi-fi will support full HD screening.
The service is expected to be expanded to the city centre — including City Square — by early 2019.
Councillor Macpherson has been instrumental in pressing for the delivery of a public wi-fi service and welcomed the news.
He said: “It is reassuring that there is now real progress to deliver a free wi-fi offering for the Waterfront area and parts of Dundee city centre.
“We need momentum behind this and delivery of free public wi-fi for Dundee in the timescales being targeted.
Perth city centre has new public Wi-Fi. We ask — can it pass our Stranger Things test?
“I have asked if, after the initial 2018/19 rollout takes place, an extension to cover other parts of the city centre east of the City Square can be considered. ”
Other Scottish cities including Edinburgh, Glasgow and Inverness already offer free public internet access. Perth is also trialling its own scheme.
Earlier this year, a Dundee working group involving the council’s IT and city development departments along with representation from the Scottish Futures Trust was established to drive the initiative forward.
The wi-fi is initially expected to cover the main part of the Central Waterfront by late summer 2018, with the streets up to and including City Square and possibly further north by early 2019.
Councillor Macpherson added: “Other cities in Scotland that are smaller than Dundee have made faster progress and it is therefore vital there is delivery of this for our city centre and Waterfront as soon as possible.
“We should also be looking proactively at free wi-fi offerings for our bigger district shopping centres, like Perth Road, Broughty Ferry and Lochee as examples.”
