Adelaide city the first capital in Australia to offer large-scale free wifi service; network upgraded from 2023
Adelaide city's AdelaideFree WiFi network from 2014 was replaced in 2023 by ADL Free powered by TPG Telecom, using high-speed fibre optics for superior performance.
The launch of the AdelaideFree WiFi network in 2014 made Adelaide the first Australian capital city to offer a free wifi service on such a large scale.
A $4.8 million upgrade, operating from 2023, of Adelaide city’s free wi-fi network promised “breathtaking” improvements on the slow speeds and unreliability of previous versions that started in 2014 and was upgraded in 2017. Adelaide lord mayor Jane Lomax-Smith said the 2023 version would be “far superior to the old system”.
The Australian government and Adelaide city council said that the new free wi-fi service, ADL Free powered by TPG Telecom, was available to the public across the central business district, park lands and North Adelaide. The new network features 251 access points – 25% more than the old network, across the central business district, North Adelaide and the park lands, and used high speed fibre optics.
TPG Telecom was contracted in 2021 to verhaul Adelaide’s free wi fi network, previously provided by Internode (later a subsidiary of TPG). Lomax-Smith admitted earlier in 2023 that she turned off the previous free wi fi on her phone because it slowed down her mobile roaming but she said the new free wifi was using Australia’s best technology: "A free wifi service will support tourists and international students, who are returning in increasing numbers following the pandemic, but in addition will help those struggling with the cost of living or the homeless.”
Available at iconic city sites such as Adelaide Central Market, the Art Gallery of South Australia, the State Library and the bars and restaurants of Peel Street, the wi fi would allow “businesses to leverage the improved download speeds for reliable payment and electronic banking purposes.”
TPG’s upgraded network – the biggest in an Australian capital city – was supported by $3 million in federal funding and $1.8 million from the city council. The money came from the $699 million Adelaide City Deal – a 10-year funding agreement from 2019 between all three levels of government.
The launch of the previous AdelaideFree WiFi network in 2014 had been hailed as a first step in creating a smart better-connected Adelaide city. The $1.5 million AdelaideFree WiFi network was a partnership of the state government (department of state development), Adelaide city council and Internode internet service provider.