New Tuggeranong Wifi enables Pokémon Go fun

On Sunday a meet up of players will pound the pavement around Lake Tuggeranong tuned into the augmented reality game. 

Event organiser Richie Suryadi said attendees were excited to see how the new free wifi worked for them as they hunted new spawn nests for rare Pokemon. 

However self proclaimed “IT nerd” Adam Rice said he felt the slower free wifi network wouldn't appeal much to savvy players when faster speed 4G alternatives were available through their phones. 

“The free wifi is great for anyone without it, kids, people without a phone plan, those with low data will love it,” he said. 

However the geospatial engineer said he wasnt sure why the government’s six year investment of $2.94 million focused on installing wifi in areas where there was already plenty of hot spots. 

“It’s kind of a dichotomy, they are putting in free wifi where there is already a dearth of free wifi,” he said. 

There have been mixed reviews of the new network with some anxious about security, others reporting slow speeds. 

An ACT Chief Minister’s office spokesperson said 14 access points were live in Tuggeranong and 31 would be live by mid September. 

The full roll out will deliver 745 access points across the ACT – the largest public outdoor network nationally except for an iiNet built network in Adelaide. 

Tackling concerns about speed the spokesperson said the network had download speeds of 2 to 10Mbps 90 per cent of the time – a similar speed to most 3G wireless networks on modern handsets.

“Free public Wi-Fi is a key enabler of a connected society, and allows residents and visitors to connect, learn and play,” the spokesperson said. 

"The ACT Government is committed to building a digitally enabled smart city where communities and businesses have access to the digital infrastructure and skills they need.”