Latest expansion of Vancouver's free wi-fi network will see the city surpass 600 hotspots

Soon the city of Vancouver will have one of the largest networks of free wi-fi in North America.

The partnership with Shaw began several years ago and already provides free internet at hundreds of access points, most of which are in the downtown core. Now, a January 19 media release describes how the network will continue to grow.

“Shaw’s expansion of #VanWiFi is a huge win for our residents and businesses, covering more than 500 locations in the downtown core and surrounding areas” Mayor Gregor Robertson said quoted there. “People are more digitally connected than ever and good public wi-fi access enables locals and visitors to more easily connect and interact online and supports Vancouver’s tourism and economic success. This massive digital infrastructure expansion also bolsters Vancouver’s status as a leading Smart City."

A map detailing both active and “coming soon” wi-fi hotspots shows this expansion will mostly bring more access to Yaletown and Kitsilano. The downtown core, the Downtown Eastside, and sections of transportation corridors such as Main Street, Broadway, and Commercial, are already covered by a lot of active spots.

The release describes the network of free wi-fi as especially beneficial to people living in social-housing projects and tourists visiting the city from out of town.

“It will also better enable visitors to use social media on a real-time basis to share their Vancouver experiences with the world,” said Ted Lee, Tourism Vancouver’s CFO and commercial director. “Furthermore, this is an important development for the Vancouver tourism industry as it moves us closer to our goal of being a ‘smart’ tourism destination. Congratulations to the City of Vancouver and to Shaw for this great partnership.”

The internet that people can access through this free network doesn’t come at light speed. It “generally” runs at 10 Mbps. But the release emphasizes that users don’t have to enter personal information to access it. That’s not a bad deal.

In your device’s list of available wi-fi networks, the city and Shaw’s free access points are labelled “VanWiFi”.