Individual businesses offer wifi now. Is there any good reason to set up downtown-wide wifi? Here are four. Photo by Becky McCray.
“Becky….we are looking at installing a downtown wifi area. What are your thoughts on that? I think it is awesome but I know I am going to get….’oh, sure…now the development corp is going to supply free wifi to people! They can pay for their own!'”
Angie Schmidt Benz
Moffit, North Dakota
Here are four reasons to consider offering a downtown wifi area:
- Wifi is crucial for tourism.
- Wifi is important to downtown businesses.
- Wifi is important for truck- and trailer- based businesses and mobile merchants like vendor booths to take credit cards.
- Wifi is important for future smart city internet-of-things sensors and data that the city and others will want to develop.
Now, where can you learn more about towns that are doing something similar now? Dig around for resources on these two websites:
- Stop using “3 legged stool” to describe any idea - June 24, 2019
- What are your challenges? Add your voice here - June 17, 2019
- How to publicize your biking trails before they’re finished - June 10, 2019
- How $5 and a bowl of soup can rebuild your community - June 3, 2019
- Getting people to mix at an event - May 27, 2019
- Crowdsourced ideas for coffee shops and other third places - May 20, 2019
- Post signs with your tourism hashtag where visitors will see them - May 13, 2019
- Book review: Celebrity CEO by Ramon Ray - May 6, 2019
- How to develop an entrepreneurial culture and more small businesses in your town - April 29, 2019
- Where’s your town’s future mural? - April 22, 2019
Great question Angie! It drives me crazy to get to Mc C or other small towns that are in ‘the dip’ and get zero service… WiFi would be invaluable!! Ohhhmy… and the tourism perks.. I can think of a dozen reasons why you should have it there! :)
Thanks, Katy. It can be tough to face the opposition you know is coming, but it helps to have a few responses ready.