Free WiFi in public buildings and spaces #WiFi4EU

#WiFi4EU

The Council of the European Union has agreeded to promote free Internet in local communities by means of WiFi4EU, a digital scheme to help provide free WiFi in city/town halls, public parks, libraries, health centres, museums and other buildings and spaces of public life. The free network will be easily recognisable to citizens under the WiFi4EU brand. The agreement on this EU-funded programme is linked to the pending negotiation of its financial perspective.

Under Wifi4EU the EU will fund the installation of local wireless access points, and the beneficiary will maintain the WiFi service. Thanks to these free local connections, even those who may otherwise face difficulties in getting online, such as unemployed or elderly people, should have the opportunity to experience the benefits of high-speed broadband. WiFi4EU will promote digital local services such as e-government, and is expected to increase citizens' demand for connectivity and use of online services.

Peter Pellegrini, the Slovak Deputy Prime Minister for Investments and the Information Society, said: "Today's agreement on the Wifi4EU is a success for the Presidency. Our aim is to ensure that Europe is amongst the most developed gigabit economies. This decision brings direct benefits to people and shows that Europe works for them. At the same time, we should not lose sight of the need to bring high-speed Internet, including public free of charge WiFi connection, to areas whose inhabitants do not have adequate connection. We must look beyond the more developed regions and ensure that we deliver results to all our citizens."

How to apply for WiFi4EU?

The money for the scheme will come from the Connecting Europe Facility. WIFI4EU will be delivered through simple and non-bureaucratic procedures such as online applications, payments by vouchers and light-touch monitoring requirements. Vouchers will be used to cover up to 100% of the eligible costs. The funding will be allocated in a geographically balanced manner across the EU and, in principle, on a first-come, first-served basis.

According to the Council,  an estimate of at least 6,000 to 8,000 local communities across the EU can benefit from this programme depending on its final budget with up to 40-50 million high-speed connections per day of both residents and visitors.

WIFI4EU will be open to entities with a public mission – typically local municipalities, libraries, health centres, etc. It will fund the equipment and installation costs (Internet access points), while the local entity will pay for the connectivity (Internet subscription) and maintenance in good order of the equipment.

Eligibility is based on being a 'public sector body' as described in the directive on the accessibility of public websites and mobile apps. In order to receive funding, WiFi providers must offer at least high-speed connectivity, above 30Mbps. They must also be able to meet the operating costs once the connection has been installed. The Council wants to ensure there is no harmful effect on competition or private investment so only projects which do not duplicate existing private or public Internet connections will be eligible.

The WiFi4EU proposal was presented by the Commission last September under the connectivity package and includes an investment of EUR120 million between 2017-2019. The scheme will support the installation of state-of-the-art equipment like Wi-Fi antennas in the centres of community life. Local authorities will be encouraged to develop and promote their own digital services in areas such as e-government, e-health and e-tourism.

"Everyone benefiting from connectivity means that it should not matter where you live or how much you earn.  So we propose today to equip every European village and every city with free wireless Internet access around the main centres of public life by 2020," said President Jean-Claude Juncker at the State of the Union speech 2016.

Vice-President Ansip and Commissioner Oettinger attended today's Council to discuss WiFi4EU and other key Digital Single Market initiatives such as the reduction of wholesale roaming charges.