Newcastle and Gateshead go free for Wi-Fi

Given that a core ethos of the internet would seem to be that just about everything associated with it is free, it has been one of the great anomalies that Wi-Fi in public areas so often seems to cost so much to use. Anyone who has stayed in a hotel will know the chore of signing up for the daily rate for Wi-Fi in the room – and the more expensive the room, the more expensive the Wi-Fi has normally been.

So the news that Newcastle and Gateshead, in the UK’s North-East, are very likely to prove to be popular places to visit following the announcement that the pair are set to become two of the hottest Wi-Fi spots in the UK after striking a deal to install free Wi-Fi in scores of public areas.

Gowex, the company that has already created successful wireless ‘smart cities’ such as San Francisco, New York, Miami, Dubai and Paris, has been awarded the contract to set the service up, and residents and visitors registering for the service will be able to connect to free Wi-Fi on both sides of the River Tyne, at any time of the day or night.

According to the specification, the bandwidth speed is expected to be fast enough for the vast majority of functions.

“As superfast broadband rolls out across Newcastle, it will make a big difference to businesses and residents who sign up for it,” said Leader of Newcastle City Council, Cllr Nick Forbes.“But these days, it’s important for people to have access to broadband while they’re on the move too – this investment will put Newcastle and Gateshead in the forefront of UK areas for public Wi-Fi availability.

“People will be able to connect to the Wi-Fi hotspots around city and town centre, high streets and public buildings – free of charge. It means they can check their emails, compare prices, select restaurants, book tickets and access public information on the move.”

According to, Gateshead Council’s Cabinet Member for Employment and Skills, Cllr Malcolm Graham, the Council sees this development as a significant boost for businesses, visitors and residents to the area, especially as being able to connect quickly and easily to the internet is now such an integral part of business and personal life. 

“This scheme offering free Wi-Fi in key public areas confirms our commitment to being at the forefront of the digital revolution,” he said.

Under the contract, Gowex will be installing a large number of connection hotspots, beginning this summer and finishing by the start of 2015. The work will be undertaken by local council staff in Gateshead and the current streetlighting contractors in Newcastle. The work will be paid for by the company.

As a further benefit, people who sign up to access the services in Newcastle and Gateshead will be able to connect free in other cities around the world where the company operates.

The project – which received Government funding from Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK) - is part of the Go Digital Newcastle initiative, which is bringing superfast broadband to 97 percent of the city by summer 2015.

Go Digital Newcastle is a government scheme delivered by Newcastle City Council and is designed to boost the local economy. Small and medium businesses can apply for free vouchers worth up to £3,000 towards the cost of getting their businesses connected to superfast broadband.

Businesses can also access a programme of free business support to show them how to make the most of their speedy connections. Specialist advisers will give practical advice and help, including details on how businesses can get a grant of up to £2,000 for related equipment and consultancy projects.

The councils were assisted in making their choice of Gowex by consultants Real Wireless.