Bruges' smart city ambitions: WiFi4EU as push comes to shove

It is the job of a city or municipality to provide for the needs of its residents. This is no different for the City of Bruges' ICT team. One of the biggest and most complex challenges for cities is to provide basic service in publicly accessible areas. This service is not simply a luxury service but serves, among other things, to close the digital gap for families who do not have access to Wi-Fi at home.

There should also be Wi-Fi coverage in all of the city's public buildings. That includes theaters, for example. And those networks should have separate hatches for performers and for visitors. This is where the WIFI4EU action came into play. The Bruges ICT team's priority for the WIFI4EU voucher was undoubtedly indoor wifi in the city theater and other multifunctional buildings in the city.

‍

With Citymesh as the installer, the city got exactly the ideal network.

Citymesh has the necessary experience to support cities and towns from A to Z when installing a comprehensive Wi-Fi network. Even in 'difficult places' coverage is provided and the capacity is more than sufficient for both employees and visitors.

The sum of 15,000 euros is already a lot but often does not quite cover the cost of a new network. This is no surprise according to the ICT team: "If you use the WIFI4EU voucher you regularly have to make an investment yourself. The sum only covers part of the costs. But that does not take away from the fact that the voucher is a good thing: cities and towns can always use extra budgets. The registration itself was very easy and we took care of the rest of the project, together with Citymesh. You should rather see the voucher as a needed push for projects that some ICT teams have been wanting to create enthusiasm for for some time. With the voucher it is easier to convince others of a connectivity project."

‍

‍