Parts of the Pleasant Hill and Meadowgreen neighbourhoods in Saskatoon now have access to free WiFi through a one-year pilot project.
The city says the area has about 1,500 residents, and the intent of the project is to see how public WiFi can improve the quality of life for residents who may have limited access to the internet because of barriers like cost.
The project is valued at $250,000, and depending on the usage and feedback, the city might expand, continue or stop the service.
The network is named “YXEPublicWiFi,” and is intended to cover the area between 19th St West and 21st St West and between Witney Ave South and Ave U South.
“There is a growing recognition in countries around the world that the ability to access basic services and programs and participate in today’s digital world requires access to the internet,” says Drew Bell, the city’s interim IT director.
“This pilot project will help us discover how the provision of free internet impacts people’s lives and help us decide if this initiative is worthy of further consideration, including expansion.”
The city says the WiFi’s performance will vary, noting several factors could affect the signal strength.
“While there are many jurisdictions across Canada, the U.S., and Europe that have implemented or are undertaking similar projects, this is actually a relatively new area of exploration for Saskatoon,” Bell adds.
“We’re expecting to learn a lot through this pilot. We’re optimistic that we’ll see some great uptake and that we’ll be impacting residents’ lives in a very tangible and positive way.”