The European Parliament, the Council and the Commission reached agreement on the WiFi4EU initiative to support the installing of free public Wi-Fi hotspots in local communities across the EU: in public squares, piazzas, parks, hospitals and other public spaces by 2020.
The agreement includes a budget of €120 million fund equipment for public free Wi-Fi services in 6,000 to 8,000 municipalities in all Member States. Local authorities will be able to apply for funding once the system is set up. The grant will be allocated in the form of vouchers to purchase and install state-of-the art equipment, i.e. local wireless access points, while the public authority will cover the running costs of the connection itself.
