Considering we are living in the online age, where nearly everything is online, the signal is still pretty naff in a lot of places where you’d expect fast speeds. Whilst we struggle with pages buffering when we are out and about, one place we don’t tend to think about it, is by the beach. But, this North Yorkshire seaside town has been getting complaints from locals about its poor signal.
The people of Filey, one of Yorkshire’s top seaside towns, have been complaining about phone signal along the seafront for some time now. And the local councillors have listened. Plans to provide public high-speed internet connection across the town are being discussed this week.
20 towns across North Yorkshire already have free public wi-fi in North Yorkshire, including Scarborough, Whitby, Thirsk, Malton and Harrogate – and Filey is looking to join them. 14 wife access points will be installed across Filey at an initial cost of £36,000 in total, which North Yorkshire Council would cover as well as the first year of maintenance – after which it’ll be Filey Town Council’s responsibility, which would cost around £2,380 a year or around £200 a month.
Filey is known for its stunning seafront and endless beaches that allow you to walk for miles down the Yorkshire Coastline. With tourists flocking in the summer months, free wi-fi is a must with people wanting to be able use their devices in tourist spots like Filey.
This evening (12th March) local councillors will be asked whether they agree with entering a three-year contract with North Yorkshire Council’s internet provider. North Yorkshire Council said it is ‘exploring how this technology could be used to promote local shops and services and create a different town centre experience’.
Councillor Sam Cross, who represents the division on NYC, said: “I am pleased that North Yorkshire has offered to pay first year costs of free Wi-Fi because I receive a poor signal on the front and many residents complain about signal whilst walking on the front.”
