Free Town Centre Wi-Fi for Driffield

East Riding of Yorkshire Council partners with Connexin to deliver free WiFi service in Driffield town centre.

19:05 09 March 2022

Free WiFi service will soon become available for residents and businesses in Driffield, thanks to the initiative between East Riding of Yorkshire Council and local telecommunications Connexin. 

 

The local government's local growth team, which applied to the Wi-Fi4EU scheme, has successfully secured a £15,000 grant for the scheme. The Wi-Fi4EU initiative part-funds the costs of wireless infrastructure and creates a free of charge Wi-Fi hotspots in public spaces. It was set up by the European Commission. 

 

Councillor Jane Evison, portfolio holder for economic development and tourism at East Riding of Yorkshire Council, said: "Town centre recovery will not mean returning to the way things were before COVID-19, but to reimagine and reinvent high streets as community spaces that support health, culture, housing, leisure, and retail. Connection speeds on the existing network can be inconsistent, so the installation of free Wi-Fi will ease congestion and provide communities and businesses with better access to online services in the town centre."

 

Claire Binnington, Driffield Town clerk, said: "Driffield Town Council are delighted to be working in partnership with the East Riding to bring public Wi-Fi to Driffield town centre. We have been working hard since the pandemic to do everything we can to boost our great independent businesses and this is very much part of our work and we are confident it will play a vital role in our bounce back."

 

Ralph Varcoe, chief growth office and managing director of IoT at Connexin said: "Public Wi-Fi plays a key role in creating great resident and visitor experiences across towns and cities and we're delighted to be supporting East Riding of Yorkshire Council in this project. Ensuring that Driffield has cutting edge connectivity will not only benefit residents and local businesses but support the council's 'digital first' agenda by ensuring that the right infrastructure is in place to encourage further visitors and investment into the area."