An average of 20,000 users each month have embraced Canberra's free public Wi-Fi, despite delays in the rollout which will push back the city-wide completion date by eight months.
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Canberra city, Braddon, New Acton and EPIC have active external Wi-Fi transmitters, while more than 40 CBRfree Wi-Fi hotspots also provided access for certain businesses in suburbs including Weston Creek and the Woden and Tuggeranong town centres.
Chief Minster, Treasury and Economic Development Directorate deputy director-general Gary Rake said Dickson and Belconnen town centres would have free Wi-Fi available by the end of the year, Manuka by early 2016, and the remaining town centres by the end of this financial year.
Delays in the rollout were due to longer than expected upgrade times to ensure the light poles, which the transmitters were fitted to, met Australian standards, he said. Users were able to download 250 megabytes per day.
News of the delays to roll out the full, free wireless network – which was to be completed within 12 months of its launch last October – came as Telstra announced it had switched on its own Wi-Fi across 42 Canberra payphone sites three weeks ago.
The Telstra rollout allows Telstra broadband customers to register to use their broadband allowance on smartphones and devices while out in one of the business and entertainment areas covered by the Wi-Fi. Non-Telstra customers can also buy a guest pass to use the Wi-Fi, and can even use the bandwidth from any residential site where a Telstra customer has registered for the new network, known as TelstraAir.
Telstra Country Wide ACT/southern NSW general manager Chris Taylor said the new network gave customers more options, would support tourism and made it easier for local businesses to promote their services.
Mr Rake said concerns raised about viruses and security issues with the CBRfree network, raised in a technical report made public in February, had been addressed through agent iiNet installing Wi-Fi access points with the "appropriate level" of security. No security attacks had been reported during its operation, he said.
Customers of the free network were cautioned about risks, but security was protected to a high standard for a free community service, Mr Rake said.
