In the competition between regional cities and towns to attract grey nomads, it is not only the provision of free and cut-price camping or dump points that is being used to lure travellers to linger longer.
Increasingly, rural communities are recognising the importance of offering free wi-fi to tech-savvy caravanners and motorhomers.
The north Queensland town of Rockhampton is the latest to announce major technological upgrades to the CBD, which will see the arrival of free wi-fi, offering grey nomads an easier way to keep in touch and stay connected.
Neil Glentworth, the chairman of Glentworth Consulting, which has teamed up with Rockhampton Regional Council as part of the Smart Way Forward digital strategy, told the Morning Bulletin that Rockhampton was now ‘ahead of the game’ compared to other regional cities and their potential to grow.
“I absolutely see it as a real growth area of Queensland,” he said. “It’s getting businesses to think differently and think about the opportunities up here, the military presence here, the grey nomads, the tourism opportunities that lie here.”
The free wi-fi hub is expected to be up and running in the CBD in the next 12 months, and Rockhampton Mayor Margaret Strelow said it meant there were exciting times ahead.
“Our digital strategy is a call to all business community to start to do things differently,” she told the Morning Bulletin. “We are in the era of innovation, especially in a digital space, and we want to get alongside people who have great ideas see if it can fly.”
If town/city councils are prepared to fund the free WiFi then that will be great. I have Telstra Air and it is hopeless. I cannot get it to connect and Telstra, well…………………..