Surfing in Giessen city centre: 13 January saw the official launch of public Wi-Fi in large parts of Giessen city centre, provided by Stadtwerke Giessen.
Checking emails, looking for a bus connection or getting directions to a nice café - getting information from the internet quickly and easily via smartphone or tablet is part of everyday life these days. In order to meet the resulting constantly growing demand for information, Stadtwerke Gießen (SWG) has decided to set up a publicly accessible WLAN. From 13 January, all those who are in the city centre or in the pedestrian zone around Seltersweg will be able to use "SWG WiFi" free of charge. A gradual expansion will take place in the following weeks. "I am delighted that SWG is making Gießen's city centre even more attractive with its new service," explains Astrid Eibelshäuser, Chairwoman of the SWG Supervisory Board, on the occasion of the launch.
There is a reason why Stadtwerke Gießen is now also involved in communications technology: "We are deliberately breaking new ground with SWG WiFi," explains SWG board member Jens Schmidt. In fact, this service is one of a series of innovative new features that SWG has launched in recent months. "SWG WiFi is a logical addition to our online service and online contract conclusion. SWG is consistently evolving, opening up to new media and learning how to use them safely," says Jens Schmidt, summarising the strategy behind the project.
Quick and uncomplicated
Stadtwerke Gießen has been working on setting up the necessary hardware for several months. SWG employees have installed more than 30 access points, i.e. antennas, in the three main areas of Giessen city centre - and soon also in the Ringallee outdoor pool, where SWG WiFi will be available from April. This generous coverage and high bandwidth will ensure a good Internet connection in many places in Giessen city centre in future.
In a pilot phase that will run until mid-2016, anyone with a suitable device can use SWG WiFi free of charge for 30 minutes a day. When the project goes into regular operation, customers of Stadtwerke Gießen will benefit in particular from the new service: "We will then offer our customers unlimited access to the Internet. And with a bandwidth of two megabits per second," announces Jens Schmidt. Non-customers can continue to surf for 30 minutes free of charge at one megabit per second. However, if this is not enough, they have the option of booking additional time for a fee.
Access to SWG WiFi is very simple: "All you need to do to register is enter your e-mail address," says Thomas Rössler, Head of Information Technologies at SWG and responsible for the project, describing the process. The login ID and password are then created by the system and sent to the e-mail address. Once registered, users can utilise the numerous Internet services.
Cooperation with tradespeople
Naturally, Stadtwerke Gießen has also brought Gießen's four Business Improvement Districts (BID) and Gießen Marketing on board for the WLAN project. After all, an important goal of these associations of property owners and tradespeople is to initiate and drive forward campaigns that enhance the individual neighbourhoods. The establishment of SWG WiFi fits in perfectly with this. With this new service, SWG is once again emphasising that it takes the slogan "With energy. For the region." seriously and that they are constantly bringing it to life.
Further information at www.stadtwerke-giessen.de/swgwifi
18.01.2016