Visitors to Great Yarmouth’s Market Place can now access free public wi-fi as part of the cross-Channel Go Trade project that’s helping to revitalise historic markets.
Great Yarmouth Borough Council is launching the new service to enhance the town centre experience for residents and visitors alike, supporting the £4.6m Market Place redevelopment currently underway.
The wi-fi is available for free out-of-doors use by residents, visitors and market traders, and can be found on mobile devices under the name “Gt Yarmouth Free Wi-Fi” within the Market Place area. A dedicated extender to boost the signal underneath the market canopy itself will be fitted as part of the redevelopment of the market facilities.
Go Trade aims to support the visitor experience and offer at nine traditional markets in England and France, with 16 project partners working together, along with market traders and other town centre businesses, to develop and implement activities and projects that support town centres and visitor economies.
Cllr Carl Smith, the council leader, said: “This great free wi-fi is part of our wider work to enhance the experience of visiting the town centre and the market, supporting our improvement of the market facilities themselves and our wider aspirations to enhance digital connectivity.
“Being able to connect digitally is so important to the vibrancy of town centres and their attractiveness as places to invest, visit and shop, opening up new opportunities and ways for people to interact with local businesses and spaces. Access to free wi-fi provides another reason for people to visit the town centre and support their market traders and shops as Covid restricts ease.”
Town centre manager Jonathan Newman, of Great Yarmouth Town Centre Partnership, said: “Having free wi-fi available will give visitors to Great Yarmouth a fantastic added benefit as they shop and dwell around the Market Place and provide traders with an exciting opportunity to engage with their customers in the digital world.
“Shoppers will be able to freely access the internet for information about nearby shops, services, facilities and attractions whilst traders have the potential to post live images and information about their goods on social media. The opportunities to hold digital and live-streaming events in the Market Place can also be explored as the Covid-19 restrictions begin to lift in the coming weeks and the town can encourage public gatherings once again in the Market Place.”
Go Trade is funded with €3.8 million from the EU-funded Interreg France (Channel) England Programme, with additional support coming from local partners. Go Trade stands for Growth of the Visitor Economy through Traditional Markets, Employment and Skills. The scheme started in late 2017 and will conclude in 2022. Twitter: @GoTrade_Markets #GoTrade