Posted: 25th Jul, 2011 By: MarkJ

The
Advanced Wireless Technology Group (AWTG) and
Barnsley Council have teamed up to launch a
free wireless internet ( Wi-Fi ) service across
Barnsley town centre.
The new network has apparently been
under construction for six months and cost the council nothing to establish. More importantly the council also claims that "
there will be no costs to run it".
Barnsley Council Statement
"The network will operate for a minimum of two years. It is hoped that the ability to access free wi-fi will attract shoppers into Barnsley town centre and that it will encourage people to use the Internet to see the benefits that this could have to their everyday lives.
Access to the council’s wi-fi will be available in outdoor areas of the town centre. Users will need to register to use the network and they will need to agree to standard terms and conditions which include a fair usage policy. The network has been provided by AWTG Ltd, who are trialling the technology."
It's understood that Wi-Fi equipped devices need only do a scan and connection to the "
BarnsleyFreeWiFi"
SSID (wireless network name) for their service to begin. The
Digital Region project provides the communications networks for all Barnsley Council buildings and schools.