Town Starts To Get CCTV Upgrade – With Free WiFi For All!

Big brother is set to watch over us all in higher definition, with the added benefit of free wireless internet for everyone.

The town’s CCTV camera network is being upgraded, with the wifi aerials starting to appear as installation teams work in Wrexham.

The Council have said: “Cameras currently being installed are the new HD cameras with wireless connectivity.

“There will be 24 going up and they will create the new WiFi hotspots across the town centre.

“We will be offering a limited amount of free Wifi per day for residents, visitors etc. We hope to have the system fully operational by September.”

This work follows at £250,000 upgrade of the CCTV control centre, along with the £400,000 spend to upgrade the cameras and enable the wifi network.

The move to wireless for CCTV also creates savings on the cost of the BT line rental which is currently £82,000 per year for the existing old cameras.

The money is coming from capital funding allocated by the Council, with £158k from the Assets and Economic department, and £168k from ‘Vibrant and Viable Places’. The latter will likely come under the VVP header of ‘Redefining the town centre’, with the wifi networks enabling a more digital friendly town for residents and visitors.

Funding for the wireless network and service provision appears to have been arranged for the first year. The system could be monetised, with a hint at data collection in a Council report that noted: “It will also provide the Council with a significant amount of analytical information, such as footfall, demographic of visitors and shopping patterns.”