Free WiFi in Galway city centre

A unique high-speed free public WiFi corridor – stretch from Spanish Arch to Eyre Square – has gone online in Galway city centre.

The ground-breaking initiative between Magnet Networks and the Galway business community – the first of its kind in Ireland – will create a digital corridor in the heart of the city.

Magnet Networks have had free WiFi in place at Spanish Arch for the past year, since the company first provided the service for the Galway Food Festival.

But now, with Galway 2020 on the horizon, the company have decided to support the city-wide initiative by providing the facity free to the whole city centre.

“Everyone we spoke to in the business community in Galway said they would love to have free WiFi in the city, but it had never materialised,” said Magnet Networks’ regional sales director Philip Clapperton.

“When Galway 2020 was announced last year there was a great push locally to get behind the initiative, so we decided to see what it would take to expand the WiFi to the city centre as a whole.

“We have installed the second phase of the service which provides coverage along Shop Street and William Street. Future phases will complete a digital corridor from Spanish Arch, up Shop Street and onto Eyre Square,” he added.

Local businesses along the route have allowed Magnet Networks to install access points on their premises, providing seamless connectivity within the city centre.

The project will be financed by giving local businesses the opportunity to sponsor the Wifi by placing an advertisement on the login page, with a promotional offer sent to each person after they log in.

“For example, if a local restaurant sponsored the WiFi, they would be able to send out a coupon at a set time to everyone who has logged on that day giving them 10% off,” said Mr Clapperton.

“This will be a great way for local businesses to stand out, which is particularly useful in a city like Galway where there are so many options for tourists to choose from,” he added.