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Wi-fi move in bid to boost town centre
FREE Internet has been introduced to parts of Abingdon in a bid to attract more visitors to the flagging town centre.
Abingdon Town Council is eager to stop people in their tracks as they pass through the area and will officially launch the online scheme at the end of the month.
A small box, called a router, has been installed at Abingdon Museum, which means anyone in Bury Street shopping precinct down towards the River Thames can benefit from a free Internet connection.
Sandra Hill, deputy town clerk, hopes visitors will use the free Internet to see what they can do and see in the town.
She said: "This will allow tourists to come and see what's happening in the area.
"Anyone having a coffee in four of the coffee shops should be able to access our wi-fi hot-spot. Or they can sit in the precinct on the seats with their computers.
"I am hoping that soon visitors coming up the river with their laptops will look and see what's happening in Abingdon and will be kept up to date with what's going on, especially the new Market Place events."
Abingdon has been in the headlines because of the number of shops struggling to survive with spiralling rents. Town centre traffic problems have also caused headaches.
The town council came to an agreement with IT company CTS, based at Milton Park, near Didcot, to install and maintain the connection for free in exchange for an advert on the home page.
When people log onto the council's wi-fi connection, the welcome page has listings of what to do and see in Abingdon. Scarborough and Norwich are among a number of towns to also offer free Wi-Fi networks.
Noureem Christain, manager of Costa coffee shop, in the Bury Street precinct, welcomed the system and believes free Internet access will increase business.
He said: "That is great, good news. I have had so many customers walk into the shop asking if we have got a wireless connection, but now we will have it free of charge."
Mr Christain is considering providing computers for customers to use. He said: "I wouldn't do it at the moment, but we know we could do it in the future."
Andreas Khristofi, manager of Coffee Aroma, in High Street, has considered turning his shop into an Internet cafe, but has never thought it viable before now.
He said: "We thought about doing the internet thing, but it would not work as I thought it was a waste of money.
"Unless you charge people per hour, it might be profitable. I do not know if that is something we are going to look into."
CTS has provided businesses in the town centre with stickers to show that they are in an Internet hot-spot. Karen Cutting, the company's office manager, said: "It is something that we have done where we work, set up a wireless network, and we approached the council as we had an idea to offer it to the public. The council is really keen to get people into Abingdon and everybody is really happy with the idea.
"If you are in the market place with a sandwich and your laptop at lunchtime then you can connect and log right on, which will also promote some businesses in Abingdon."
3:11pm Tuesday 13th May 2008
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CommentPosted by: double trouble, everywhere on 1:59pm Wed 14 May 08
same story twice again?
Posted by: bored, Abingdon on 9:48am Thu 15 May 08
Getting repetitive isn't it!!!!!!!!
Getting repetitive isn't it!!!!!!!!
Posted by: cb, Abingdon on 10:24am Thu 15 May 08
I suspect free WiFi may link to limited web pages. Including this one?.
I suspect free WiFi may link to limited web pages. Including this one?.
Posted by: DB, Abingdon on 7:40pm Thu 15 May 08
Yey! The Council (whoever they are, whichever one of the many in charge that it is) have done something positive for Abingdon. A little pat on the back for your efforts. However, I can't help thinking what with all the fairly large issues affecting Abingdon and it's struggle to survive it would be good to see 'The Council' proactively tackling some of the BIG issues to get our town back on track. At the moment, to me at least, it feels like Abingdon is just about surviving DESPITE 'The Council' not because of 'The Council. Come on people from 'The Council', grasp the thistle, lower some rents for a while and entice new (independant) businesses, make parking free for an hour or so so people are encouraged to come here (rather than discouraged - has anyone tried deciphering the charges sign to the multistory?!). EVERY Saturday or Sunday should have something going on in the Market square. The couple of 'cafes' on the square should be encouraged to put tables out...not charged silly amounts for the privalage. Maybe these are insurmountable issues, but hey...at least we've got free wi-fi. I'm just not sure that I'd choose to surf the internet in Abingdon Town center as it currently stands.
Yey! The Council (whoever they are, whichever one of the many in charge that it is) have done something positive for Abingdon. A little pat on the back for your efforts. However, I can't help thinking what with all the fairly large issues affecting Abingdon and it's struggle to survive it would be good to see 'The Council' proactively tackling some of the BIG issues to get our town back on track. At the moment, to me at least, it feels like Abingdon is just about surviving DESPITE 'The Council' not because of 'The Council. Come on people from 'The Council', grasp the thistle, lower some rents for a while and entice new (independant) businesses, make parking free for an hour or so so people are encouraged to come here (rather than discouraged - has anyone tried deciphering the charges sign to the multistory?!). EVERY Saturday or Sunday should have something going on in the Market square. The couple of 'cafes' on the square should be encouraged to put tables out...not charged silly amounts for the privalage. Maybe these are insurmountable issues, but hey...at least we've got free wi-fi. I'm just not sure that I'd choose to surf the internet in Abingdon Town center as it currently stands.
Posted by: ady, crapingdon on 11:19pm Fri 16 May 08
all i can see is dirty sad lone men downloading **** in the market square, is that what crapingdon has come to , wake up for god sake , idiots....
all i can see is dirty sad lone men downloading **** in the market square, is that what crapingdon has come to , wake up for god sake , idiots....
Posted by: Andrew Trame, Knutsford on 2:15pm Sat 17 May 08
I visited Abingdon a couple of weeks ago, for the first time and had thoughts of a nice affluent rural English village, wow what a change when visiting the place for real. I found Abingdon to be derelict, depressing and covered in CCTV.
What has this country come to when small towns are in this sort of mess? I don’t think wifi will save the town, in-fact it will probably give those innocent people that are exposed the radio waves some sort of yet unfounded disease in the future.
The council are often to blame and with a Tesco and Waitrose in the town, what did they expect was going to happen to the now derelict and borded up shops. Serves you right greedy fat cats, I just feel sorry that this is another clone of the rest of the UK, I will not be visiting the hell hole again.
I visited Abingdon a couple of weeks ago, for the first time and had thoughts of a nice affluent rural English village, wow what a change when visiting the place for real. I found Abingdon to be derelict, depressing and covered in CCTV.
What has this country come to when small towns are in this sort of mess? I don’t think wifi will save the town, in-fact it will probably give those innocent people that are exposed the radio waves some sort of yet unfounded disease in the future.
The council are often to blame and with a Tesco and Waitrose in the town, what did they expect was going to happen to the now derelict and borded up shops. Serves you right greedy fat cats, I just feel sorry that this is another clone of the rest of the UK, I will not be visiting the hell hole again.
Posted by: Depressed, Shabingdon on 3:39am Mon 19 May 08
Drabingdon isn't an affluent town...it's an effluent town.A reflection of the rest of this country.Anyone with any sense is selling up and moving to Australia.What is there to be proud of around here now ?.
The *****rs are in charge.It stinks...
Drabingdon isn't an affluent town...it's an effluent town.A reflection of the rest of this country.Anyone with any sense is selling up and moving to Australia.What is there to be proud of around here now ?.
The *****rs are in charge.It stinks...
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