AN EXTRAORDINARY meeting of Milford Haven Town Council took place on Wednesday (Jan 13) where members discussed the option of installing free Wi-Fi in the centre of the town.
The current proposal, presented to the council by David Bannister of Antur Teifi, is to seek support from local businesses to erect seven Cisco access points along Charles Street which would allow people with Wi-Fi enabled devices to access the Internet in Hamilton Terrace, Charles Street and in Robert Street. The scheme, which will be part funded by Pembrokeshire County Council for the first three years is expected to boost town trade, as well as providing a method for the town council to collect data on town foot fall. Email addresses from users of the Wi-Fi could also be collected, with the user’s consent, for marketing purposes.
After the presentation members took it in turns to ask Mr Bannister questions about how the proposed scheme could operate. First to speak was Cllr Colin Sharp who said: “I can see several benefits, but are all the access points confirmed.” The council was told that businesses were not yet signed up to provide locations for the access points. But it was confirmed that once Wi-Fi equipment was installed it would only cost £25 per year to run for electricity, plus broadband costs. Cllr John Cole said that he wanted to know the precise costs of the scheme. He also asked if the Milford Haven Business Circle had been consulted.
Cllr Mathew Rickard suggested that placing the access points on top of taller buildings could have a beneficial effect on range, and suggested the Torch Theatre or Milford Haven fire station as locations to give the town greater coverage. Cllr Eric Harries expressed concern about the administration of such a scheme. He said: “The setting up, control and maintenance of this scheme could be demanding on officers’ time. We have only two staff. My question is do we need any additional expertise.”
Mr Banister said that there was very little to do once the scheme was set up. Also in attendance at the meeting were Alex Brown and Anna Malloy representing the Port of Milford Haven. Councillors considered if a larger scheme should be introduced which would also give Wi-Fi access on the marina. Members were told that the Port may have to pay for their own equipment, as it was unlikely that this would be provided by the local authority. Councillors decided to refer the matter to the Social Media Working Group, after which the matter will likely be referred back to Full Council.
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