iiNet rolls out 1000 Cisco wi-fi access points in Victoria

iiNet will install around 1000 Cisco access points across Victoria as part of a deal with the state government to roll out a free wi-fi network.

The $6.7 million deal will see the ISP install access points in Melbourne, Ballarat and Bendigo CBDs.

The network, dubbed VicGovFree, will also extend to Melbourne’s city loop train stations, Queen Victoria Market, Flinders Street Station and a number of public gardens. Anyone using the network will be given a daily quota of 250 megabytes.

Greg Bader, chief business officer of iiNet, claimed VicGovFree would be the largest wi-fi rollout in Australia and one of the largest in the world. “This infrastructure will position Victoria as a world leader in connected cities. Public wi-fi is now the new benchmark for modern communities, so we applaud the vision of the Victorian state government."

Bader told CRN that iiNet was installing Cisco Aironet 1570s and 1530 access points for outdoor locations – roughly 60 percent of the rollout – and Aironet 3700 access points for indoor.

"[Cisco] are bending over backward to help us. The internet of things is a big driver for Cisco globally."

The access points are being deployed by iiNet contractor VisionStream, which already provides the ISP with support around its copper and fibre networks.

Bader told CRN that the project was bigger than just public wi-fi and would create "a layer of baseline infrastructure that will allow them to bring new services to market".

"One of the most crucial parts of a partnership like this was the opportunity to really leverage existing assets, so in Melbourne, we are working with the state government, the council and VicTrack to really extend and create a new fibre network across the CBD that will be given back to the state."

He added that Cisco's global expertise would help inform innovation and build a smarter city.

"They allow us and the state government to tap into other things that are happening around the world, where they are doing thing like automated parking systems and waste disposal.

"Imagine a CBD now, where trucks go around and empty all the street bins. They are emptied whether they are full or not, but in some European cities have set up sensors that talk to the truck and tell you whether the bin needs emptying or not. They are seeing 20-30 percent improvement in efficiencies," said Bader.

iiNet has already deployed free wi-fi networks in Perth and Canberra, and has completed a roll out in Adelaide under its subsidiary company, Internode.

Last month, Telstra announced it would also be rolling out free wi-fi hotspots across key locations in Australia, including Bourke Street Mall in Melbourne.