Bern City Council rejects free Wi-Fi initiative

The Bern City Council has again rejected the initiative to provide free Wi-Fi in the city of Bern, reported InsideIT.ch. The authors of the initiative proposed to create a WLAN network that automatically connects users to the nearest WLAN using centralised authentication. Similar plans have been discussed as early as in 2008 and repeatedly several times since then, but have not been implemented for a low benefit-cost ratio. 

Now the groups GFL/EVP, BDP/CVP and FDP took another attempt and called for the creation of a non-profit organisation that would take charge of the planning, construction and operation of the network and coordinate all actors. According to Matthias Sturmer (EVP), the target group would be tourists and young people as well as low earners who cannot afford a flat rate. The initiative has been finally rejected.

To compare, Polish regulator UKE issues permits for provision of free WiFi by municipalities on a case-by-case basis. There are rules setting maximum session time and maximum download speed for such free public internet service.

In autumn 2017, the European Union adopted the EU-wide hotspot initiative WiFi4EU.