Free wifi coming to city’s public buildings

Brighton & Hove's town halls, museums, housing offices and children's centres will soon offer free public wifi hotspots.

Visitors to more than 50 buildings across the city will be able to access the free facility on their mobile devices, including at the Brighton Centre, Portslade's Village Centre, Hove Town Hall and the seafront office.

Youth centres across the city will be switched on, as will King Alfred Leisure Centre in Hove, Foredown Countryside Centre in Portslade and the newly refurbished St Luke's swimming pool in Brighton.

The free wifi will be available for anyone living, working, visiting or studying in Brighton and Hove.

Council leader Jason Kitcat said: “People will be able to keep in touch at a variety of locations supplied by our public buildings and offices. The hotspots will be all over Brighton & Hove, from the city centre to the countryside, and can be used for leisure, learning, doing business, or simply keeping in touch with friends and family.

“Brighton & Hove City Council won government investment to provide improved digital connections. We are one of only 17 places across the UK to be selected for the super connected cities programme which complements the innovation and energy of our growing digital economy.”

Funding has been provided by BDUK through the government’s super-connected cities programme. Other projects in the city include a broadband voucher scheme where businesses can apply for a grant to improve their broadband connection, and a 'digital exchange' to offer ultrafast low-cost broadband for local creative and digital companies, based in New England House.

Brighton & Hove's wifi hotspots are expected to be available towards the end of March.

More information on the Department for Culture, Media and Sport's Super Connected Cities Programme can be found at: www.gov.uk/government/policies/transforming-uk-broadband/supporting-pages/investing-in-super-connected-cities