Fast, free WiFi goes live on Gold Coast
Fast, free WiFi has gone live in three hotspots on the Gold Coast. (Image: 9NEWS) 9NEWS
Free public WiFi, with download speeds up to 10 times faster than the NBN, has gone live in a number of key tourist hubs on the Gold Coast ahead of next month's Commonwealth Games.
The city's council has invested $5.5 million of ratepayer money in the service but is expecting to get that back in good publicity during the sporting showcase.
"Normal return in funds is five years but this'll be so quick," Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate said.
The free public WiFi has been rolled out in three locations so far - the Broadwater Parklands at Southport, the Surfers Paradise Foreshore and Broadbeach dining precinct.
According to the council, Coolangatta will eventually come online too.
Local restaurant owners in the three current hotspots are praising the service and hope it'll attract more customers.
"You drop the food off at the table, straight away the cameras come out, they take photos, they're uploading to their friends," said Mario's Italian restaurant owner Marlon Pirie.
The WiFi is said to be incredibly fast with download speeds of 30 megabytes per second.
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