Tourism businesses in Edinburgh are being encouraged to make the most of improved digital connectivity in the city centre, provided by IntechnologyWiFi to increase their visibility to tourists. The new free outdoor WiFi service has attracted more than 72,000 registrations since it launched at the end of November. We rolled out the service in time for the Christmas and Hogmanay celebrations.

It has created a potentially lucrative new channel for tourism businesses to engage with new and existing customers. A host of local companies have already used social media to promote #EdiFreeWiFi as an example of a community initiative.

Our CEO Natalie Duffield commented, “The rapid uptake of our new service shows there is strong demand for high-speed connectivity from people living and working in this great city. With current mobile networks lagging far behind expectations, WiFi is filling an important gap in Edinburgh’s digital economy and connecting businesses with customers. We are sure that tourism businesses will come up with fun and exciting initiatives to unlock the potential that public WiFi brings to Scotland’s capital. We look forward to partnering with them to make it happen“.

The City of Edinburgh Council awarded intechnologyWiFi a 10-year concession contract to provide free public outdoor WiFi in Edinburgh city centre.

A spokesman for Edinburgh Tourism Action Group said: “This new investment in digital connectivity is helping Edinburgh to become one of the world’s top digital cities. This is great news for tourism with lots of potential to enhance the visitor experience and business performance. We encourage the wide range of businesses which make up Edinburgh’s tourism sector, including transport and accommodation providers, attractions, venues, theatres, shops, bars, restaurants, conferences, events and festivals, to make the most of the increased visibility that the free public outdoor WiFi is bringing to our great city.”

Research from YouGov published earlier this year revealed that nearly half (43 per cent) of Britons are frustrated by the lack of free, public WiFi networks available across the UK, while one in four people (24 per cent) would be more likely to stay longer in a town or city centre with access to free WiFi. For further information and coverage details, please visit edinburghfreewifi.com.