Wi-Fi access in Brisbane parks

Brisbane City Council has extended Wi-Fi connectivity to 20 of its public parks after successful trials in the city's Botanical Gardens and New Farm Park.

About 5,000 people have used the service in the Botanical Gardens since last November, the service having been made available 24 hours per day, seven days a week.

During an extended trial period, which will run until February, the download limit has been increased to allow further testing of capacity.

Lord Mayor Graham Quirk recently revealed which Brisbane parks will have access to free wireless internet by mid next year, the free service having been one of the only real surprises in Mayor Quirk's June council budget this year, with $2 million set aside for the initiative.

Mayor Quirk has also revealed that a further $413,000 will be spent on upgrading Wi-Fi services in 34 council libraries across the city, explaining that "the popularity of free Wi-Fi access in the City Botanic Gardens, New Farm Park and Council libraries has demonstrated that internet access is important to many of Brisbane's residents and visitors.

"Wi-Fi access will be available in hotspots at each location, and signage will be installed to help people identify where these hotspots are."

Work is expected to start next month to progressively roll out Wi-Fi access across the following 20 locations by June next year:

• Rocks Riverside Park
• Orleigh Park, West End
• Post Office Square
• Mt Coot-tha Botanical Gardens
• The Lake Parklands, Forest Lake
• Carindale Recreation Reserve
• Booker Place Park, Bellbowrie
• 7th Brigade Park, Chermside
• Einbunpin Lagoon, Sandgate
• Guyatt Park, St Lucia
• Calamvale District Park
• Gregory Park, Milton
• King George Square
• Oriel Park, Hamilton
• D.M. Henderson Park, Macgregor
• Kalinga Park, Wooloowin
• Glindemann Park, Holland Park
• Teralba Park, Everton Park
• Hidden World Park, Fitzgibbon
• Jacob's Ladder, Spring Hill

Enabled devices include personal computers; video game consoles; mobile phones; MP3 players and personal digital assistants.

To connect to the service, users need only search you're their wireless networks, select 'Council Wi-Fi', and read and accept the terms and conditions. No login is required.

An unplanned occurrence has also seen Ipswich City Council's Robelle Domain Park become a Wi-Fi friendly zone after Springfield-based Nsane Productions unintentionally extended into the council park, giving patrons access to free internet.

As a result, Ipswich Mayor Paul Pisasale said Wi-Fi would be set up in the main Ipswich library branch and at some swimming pools from early next year while the Council is offering private internet providers the opportunity to turn the city's parks into Wi-Fi friendly zones.

Meanwhile, Queensland Rail has said it is continuing to install Wi-Fi and expects its 64 trains to be Wi-Fi capable by the end of next year.

Roma Street Parklands image courtesy of Daniel Bradshaw.

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