The City of Owen Sound has expressed interest in building a wireless network in downtown Owen Sound that will provide the public free, secure and reliable access to wireless internet. Basically to turn the downtown core into one big internet café that encourages visitors and residents to spend more time in our downtown.  Here is some info they have asked us to share with you.

The City of Owen Sound has successfully tested wireless service at a number of City owned facilities (Market Building, the Tourism Centre, Bayshore Community Centre, Kelso Beach, Salmon Spectacular Festival and the Billy Bishop Airport). The City would like to extend this service throughout the downtown harbour front as a way to attract tourists and residents to our downtown. The wireless service is free and ensures a reliable, secure and dependable WiFi network.

In order to build the WiFi network the City needs to partner with business owner’s located in the downtown. The City will provide and install the WiFi equipment. The businesses will be asked to provide an existing connection to DSL internet (does not need to be a new connection. It will not limit or interfere with your existing service or capacity). The wireless device is small and needs to have a physical location close to a window or be located outside.

The public’s use of the wireless service will be secure and filtered and will not interfere or be connected to the business owner’s network or system in anyway. The free wireless network only uses un-used bandwidth of the business’s DSL connection.

The service will help attract new customer’s downtown, is fully secured and protected, and has no operating costs. The signal within your store or business will be stronger for those who host the wireless device. While businesses can utilize the wireless service themselves, they might find it limited for commercial purposes as there will be bandwidth limitations.

The City requires the support from about 20 businesses to make the free service work. A City representative and DIA representative will be visiting you shortly to answer any questions and ask for your co-operation in offering this new service to downtown Owen Sound.

Ernie Coates
Manager of Information Technology

Steve Furness
Manager of Economic Development and Tourism