CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Topic: Free Wifi

CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Topic: Free Wifi http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Topic: Free Wifi en Sat, 16 May 2026 22:18:25 +0000 Nelly on "Free Wifi" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=3877&page=2#post-159307 Fri, 11 Jul 2014 12:57:46 +0000 Nelly 159307@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ Yes, I get all the "its for tourists" bit - I like a bit of wifi abroad too. But I also think as a tourist you are more likely to use it somewhere indoors - coffee shop, pub etc (or semi indoors, bus tram,train) than a wifi hotspot on the street. I also cant see that any tourist will be put off somewhere because a council did not provide wifi - all they have to do is pop into pizza express, costa or wee jimmys greasy spoon to get online. chdot on "Free Wifi" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=3877&page=2#post-159283 Fri, 11 Jul 2014 10:07:53 +0000 chdot 159283@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ "tourists are money" amir on "Free Wifi" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=3877&page=2#post-159282 Fri, 11 Jul 2014 10:07:52 +0000 amir 159282@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ It seems to be free for the council. When I've been in cities abroad, free wifi has been a real bonus. Seems like a good investment - tourism does bring in quite a lot of money. Min on "Free Wifi" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=3877&page=2#post-159276 Fri, 11 Jul 2014 09:51:57 +0000 Min 159276@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ Lol, yes you don't think it is for US Nelly do you?? Locals will just be paying for it, not using it. amir on "Free Wifi" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=3877&page=2#post-159265 Fri, 11 Jul 2014 09:07:43 +0000 amir 159265@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ It is really good for tourists from abroad. Roaming with data still is very expensive. Nelly on "Free Wifi" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=3877#post-159255 Thu, 10 Jul 2014 22:29:24 +0000 Nelly 159255@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ Glasgow city council just announced a deal with BT to provide 50 wifi hotspots including loads of community centres. When this thread started I was all for wifi provided by councils, but to be honest so many pubs/coffee shops etc have wifi that having it 'in the street' seems a bit pointless now. Plus, I am on 4G now with EE and I genuinely cant think of an occasion when - wandering down Argyle Street - I would think 'hang on, I need to check emails, I must find a hotspot' - it all just kind of happens now and contracts give much better data allowances so it is less of an issue (IMO). I suppose if you want to watch a film while wandering around the streets !! Focus on "Free Wifi" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=3877#post-145878 Wed, 19 Mar 2014 13:46:32 +0000 Focus 145878@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ Ah, got you now :-) As I say, I don't consider it "dragging" to carry a smaller format tablet, but I wouldn't bother carrying a laptop or large tablet around unless I actually needed it with me. I do take your point about whether the council should provide it, and perhaps more businesses could be encouraged to provide it themselves. The 'drag' can sometimes be that many businesses (e.g. coffee shops) understandably want you to pay indirectly for that by purchasing their products when you may not otherwise want to. The best work-around is to look for Wi-fi which 'leaks' outside the premises, such as the National Galleries on the Mound ;-) steveo on "Free Wifi" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=3877#post-145850 Wed, 19 Mar 2014 10:30:09 +0000 steveo 145850@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ I'm missing the reason for your question though. I was just wondering what the overlap of non-data users and people who would go to the effort of dragging a large device with them. Like I said, wasn't sure if people would go to the effort of taking a larger device out the house if they felt they didn't need an always on data connection. Clearly some would; I'm still not convinced the city paying for data, when individuals can buy it cheaply or a great many stores already provide it for their customers, is a great use of council funds. Focus on "Free Wifi" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=3877#post-145840 Wed, 19 Mar 2014 01:44:00 +0000 Focus 145840@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ @ steveo "And do you drag your tablet or laptop round with you? " Not my laptop, but sometimes my tablet(Nexus 3G), though it's not exactly a drag to put it in a jacket pocket. I'm missing the reason for your question though. I do have an (expired) 1 year SIM in that. I haven't bought a new SIM as yet as I don't use the data all that much. Handy at Christmas when shopping for presents though. steveo on "Free Wifi" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=3877#post-145810 Tue, 18 Mar 2014 15:04:18 +0000 steveo 145810@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ Technically, but they've never noticed the iPad. I doubt they can tell the difference between tablet data and smart phone data. chdot on "Free Wifi" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=3877#post-145809 Tue, 18 Mar 2014 14:49:30 +0000 chdot 145809@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ "I don't know to what extent it would blow my download budget" Surprisingly fast. My first iPhone contract was unlimited data. Think it was before radio apps! Now I'm on 1GB and it's easy to run through it. "an unlimited data package" Presumably that 'excludes' tethering? steveo on "Free Wifi" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=3877#post-145805 Tue, 18 Mar 2014 14:35:38 +0000 steveo 145805@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ I will quite often have a laptop or tablet with me. I’ll occasionally have a tablet with me but then I also have a smart phone and an unlimited data package, rolling 1 month contract £12 a month since you ask. I was just wondering what the overlap of non-data users and people who would go to the effort of dragging a large device with them. PS on "Free Wifi" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=3877#post-145804 Tue, 18 Mar 2014 14:30:27 +0000 PS 145804@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ I'm on a £10 a month PAYG tariff on my iPhone. Can't remember how much data that allows me to download in a month, but it's usually enough as long as I don't want to stream video/radio/music or download chunky files while out and about. I've only had a warning that I was approaching my limit a couple of times in 15 months on that tariff. However, it does mean I do not stream video/radio/music or download chunky files while out and about and there are times when I would quite like to be able to do so (to listen to 6Music, for instance). I don't know to what extent it would blow my download budget, but at the moment I'm not really wanting to find out. chrisfl on "Free Wifi" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=3877#post-145800 Tue, 18 Mar 2014 14:09:58 +0000 chrisfl 145800@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ I will quite often have a laptop or tablet with me. And I have to admit I find myself constantly surprised by people who don't have data contracts or even smart(or feature) phones, and the very cheap contracts tend to only allow very small amounts of data. Not to mention the complex world of PAYG. steveo on "Free Wifi" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=3877#post-145794 Tue, 18 Mar 2014 13:23:51 +0000 steveo 145794@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ And do you drag your tablet or laptop round with you? Focus on "Free Wifi" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=3877#post-145790 Tue, 18 Mar 2014 12:22:54 +0000 Focus 145790@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ @ chrisfl "* People who don't have data contracts; there are definitely still quite a few people in this category." Absolutely. @ steveo "Is it even possible to not have data in contract these days? " A contract isn't for everyone though. I use PAYG because my phone is predominantly for texting and receiving calls. My costs are usually £15 per quarter, and that's only to get a discount on my home broadband bill. Otherwise, my bill would be even less. I won't get that on contract. cb on "Free Wifi" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=3877#post-145734 Mon, 17 Mar 2014 15:53:11 +0000 cb 145734@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ If you're a Vodafone customer it would be welcome. Although I believe you can get a decent 3G signal if you stand at the top of the Scott Monument. steveo on "Free Wifi" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=3877#post-145733 Mon, 17 Mar 2014 15:50:18 +0000 steveo 145733@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ chrisfl, I'll give you tourists though it depends who's ultimately paying for this service. As to the rest, not convinced. As long as you're not tethering a laptop I doubt the networks can really differentiate between an iPad or an iPhone or any android devices. Is it even possible to not have data in contract these days? chdot on "Free Wifi" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=3877#post-145730 Mon, 17 Mar 2014 15:41:51 +0000 chdot 145730@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ "I think that there is a need/place for free wifi." It's remarkable how many extra places there are now - Co-op, M&S, Gregg's, Waitrose. chrisfl on "Free Wifi" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=3877#post-145728 Mon, 17 Mar 2014 15:36:28 +0000 chrisfl 145728@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ @steveo I think that there is a need/place for free wifi. There are quite a few use cases I can think of: * Tourists, Roaming charges are ridiculous, so tourists will be very happy to have free wifi. * Relieving busy networks, some of the mobile data networks can really suffer in the city centre when it gets busy, if some of that load goes onto wifi it can't be a bad thing, also might be useful in covering some of the holes in 3G data in the city. * People who don't have data contracts; there are definitely still quite a few people in this category. * Some of the networks are getting quite good at working out if you're tethering (3 will disable your data if they spot it), so not an option for everyone. steveo on "Free Wifi" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=3877#post-145721 Mon, 17 Mar 2014 14:28:45 +0000 steveo 145721@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ Do we really still need free wifi, 10 years ago when these schemes started in the US there was an appetite for data the network providers couldn't cope with but now a cheap phone contract comes with plenty of data and you can always use it tethered to your tablet if you don't tell the provider. gembo on "Free Wifi" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=3877#post-145720 Mon, 17 Mar 2014 14:26:33 +0000 gembo 145720@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ Many places getting mentioned. Free wifi will encourage visitors to stay in Gorgie? Great places like portobello, corstorphine and morningside also name checked. Plans to be approved On the train you need to get on at waverely and connected ASAP. Anyone at Haymarket will struggle, dependent on time of day. I were right about that saddle on "Free Wifi" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=3877#post-145719 Mon, 17 Mar 2014 14:14:27 +0000 I were right about that saddle 145719@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ "some fun times with friends cruising on the M6 near a national express coach" Well, I hope you were all wearing Hi-Viz. EddieD on "Free Wifi" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=3877#post-145715 Mon, 17 Mar 2014 14:06:17 +0000 EddieD 145715@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ They already have it in Jedburgh and a few other Borders towns cb on "Free Wifi" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=3877#post-145708 Mon, 17 Mar 2014 13:44:34 +0000 cb 145708@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <a href="http://www.scotsman.com/news/scotland/top-stories/edinburgh-city-centre-close-to-free-wifi-access-1-3340944">http://www.scotsman.com/news/scotland/top-stories/edinburgh-city-centre-close-to-free-wifi-access-1-3340944</a> Focus on "Free Wifi" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=3877#post-139671 Mon, 13 Jan 2014 22:16:17 +0000 Focus 139671@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ @ ARobComp I've done much the same, even on a bus with no wi-fi of its own. crowriver on "Free Wifi" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=3877#post-139652 Mon, 13 Jan 2014 18:59:39 +0000 crowriver 139652@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ Free wifi on the number 1 bus too. Also some Scotrail trains: Glasgow-Edinburgh; Edinburgh-Aberdeen; presume Glasgow-Aberdeen too? ARobComp on "Free Wifi" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=3877#post-139651 Mon, 13 Jan 2014 18:54:52 +0000 ARobComp 139651@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ I've had some fun times with friends cruising on the M6 near a national express coach which had some free wifi on it. We had to stay close enough that I could connect my laptop and find out some information on where we were going! Focus on "Free Wifi" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=3877#post-139639 Mon, 13 Jan 2014 17:48:48 +0000 Focus 139639@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ Handy if you want to plot a route on a phone's navigation app and don't want charged for your data usage - just wait for a bus or tram to come to you ;-) cb on "Free Wifi" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=3877#post-139559 Mon, 13 Jan 2014 10:20:35 +0000 cb 139559@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ ...adding to a random Wifi thread: <a href="http://www.scotsman.com/news/transport/free-wifi-plan-for-all-edinburgh-buses-and-trams-1-3264384">http://www.scotsman.com/news/transport/free-wifi-plan-for-all-edinburgh-buses-and-trams-1-3264384</a> "Lothian Buses will install mobile routers on all 713 buses in its fleet and the 27 new trams, which are to be launched in May. The devices are expected to be fitted later this year. Funding for the £2 million project will be met by the Westminster government as part of the Connected Capital programme."