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Northallerton visitors to get free WiFi while they shop

In other wireless internet access for northerners news, visitors and shoppers on Northallerton High Street can now get free WiFi. 

Northallerton i-Street, a joint project undertaken by Northallerton Retail & Business Forum, Northallerton Town Council and Hambleton District Council, aims to increase business in the area by giving shoppers wireless access around the town. 

Hambleton District Council provided £1,000 to install the equipment required for the network with partners sharing the running costs and the town council providing a phone line from the town hall. 

WiFi Street: Northallerton shoppers can tap into free wireless goodness

Visitors to the High Street will be asked to sign up to the network before they can use it. The free WiFi zone will initially cover the High Street from the southern end near the library up to All Saints’ Church as well as Zetland Street. Other areas, such as Friarage Street, can be expanded in future if there is demand. 

The network has been created with the technical assistance of local community wireless specialists Clannet, using a series of wall-mounted transmitters. 

Hambleton District Council deputy leader and councillor Peter Wilkinson said: “We are aiming to get all of our market towns WiFi enabled. Shoppers and visitors increasingly want to connect to the internet and some surveys show that this can affect people’s choice of shopping destination. 

“Having Wi-Fi complementing the offer of our attractive towns and quality independent retail offer can only help the high streets’ fortunes. This is an early intervention and we are looking carefully at other actions and investments to support our high streets.” 

Free public WiFi is all the rage now, with high street such as Costa and Wetherspoons pubs inking deals with the likes of BT, O2 and The Cloud. 

Elsewhere in North Yorkshire, BT is busy connecting homes and businesses to superfast fibre-based broadband. By the end of 2014, over 300,000 locations will be able to order at least FTTC (Fibre to the Cabinet), with a lucky few able to get more future-proofed FTTP (Fibre to the Premises) connections.  

Image: Geograph/Bob Embleton

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