Free public WiFi is coming to Southend-on-Sea town centre from September, with users able to enjoy unlimited free browsing without running up large bills for data usage.

The next-generation wireless service from IntechnologySmartCities offers blanket, seamless connectivity for users. This is unlike the sporadic, patchy and expensive experience of hotspots.

The wireless network will deliver a new digital dimension to the town’s economic and social wellbeing.

The WiFi network forms part of IntechnologySmartCities’s innovative IntechConnect approach, which supports high-tech applications to improve the quality of life for local residents as part of the emerging Smart City and Internet of Things industries. These could include schemes to improve parking intelligence and waste collection by using connected devices to gather and analyse data.

Further information on the Southend-on-Sea WiFi service can be found at our microsite.

“For our economy to flourish, we need to be at the cutting edge of new technology and we are committed to delivering new infrastructure to support innovation and enterprise. Local businesses will be able to use the network to better engage with customers, adopt new technology and become more productive.

The network will improve the overall visitor experience in the town and help Southend-on-Sea compete as an attractive destination for retail and leisure. It will also increase social inclusion by making the internet free and accessible to anyone in the area of coverage.“

Councillor Trevor Byford, Southend-on-Sea Borough Council

Accompanying the wireless network will be the launch of a clever new mobile application, called Citi-Wise, for residents and visitors to quickly find restaurants, attractions new, exciting and offbeat activities in and around Southend. Citi-Wise will also support future services deployed through the wireless network.

Digital exclusion is becoming a social problem for Britain with an estimated 5.3m adults who have never used the internet. The forthcoming service in Southend-on-Sea will provide residents with better access to key services and employment and education opportunities. Our free-to-use network will provide universal connectivity to everyone in the local area, helping them to feel more connected and engaged, whether they are residents or visitors, and allowing them to access the services and benefits available in the digital world.

Southend-on-Sea Borough Council is a forward-looking organisation and we are excited about working in partnership to realise its vision to support economic development, local businesses, community engagement and social and digital inclusion.

The free-to-use service is being rolled out in September. There is no charge to the taxpayer. IntechnologySmartCities works with local authorities across the UK to offer a ‘digital window to the city’ to engage with users and provide services to support and encourage social and economic activities and the growth of the digital economy.

Southend on Sea Borough Council has granted IntechnologySmartCities a concession to deploy, monitor and maintain wireless equipment on street furniture and buildings owned by the local authority and partners in the town centre.