Fast, Free Wifi Coming to City of Port Coquitlam Facilities

PORT COQUITLAM, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - Feb. 23, 2015) - Fast, free wifi is now available at Port Coquitlam's busiest park and public facilities through a new partnership with Shaw Communications.

The City of Port Coquitlam's non-exclusive five-year agreement with Shaw permits the company to provide its Shaw Go WiFi service at Port Coquitlam City Hall, Hyde Creek Recreation Complex, Port Coquitlam Recreation Complex, Terry Fox Library and Gates Park.

"We've been working to be a more connected city for years, both by improving our online services and by supporting projects that enhance connectivity," Mayor Greg Moore said. "By partnering with Shaw, we're able to provide the community better service at no cost to the taxpayer."

Although Port Coquitlam's City Hall, recreation centres and the library already offer free wifi, Shaw Go WiFi will be faster and more reliable, and the Shaw service will enable the city to dedicate its wifi capacity to staff needs.

The new Shaw Go WiFi service will be open to everyone whether they are Shaw customers or not. Users who are not Shaw customers can access the service by selecting 'ShawGuest' on the list of available WiFi hotspots at participating locations and following the steps to register.

"This service will be a great addition to our recreation facilities and Gates Park, which are used by thousands of our residents each year," said Cllr. Mike Forrest, chair of the Healthy Community committee, responsible for parks and recreation. "People want to access information on the go, and now they'll be able to browse the internet and connect to city services online without paying for data."

Since first launching over a year-and-a-half ago, Shaw has partnered with municipalities and small businesses from Victoria, B.C. to Sault Ste. Marie, ON to bring its leading wifi service to Western Canadians. With over 55,000 hotspots across its footprint, Shaw Go WiFi is Canada's largest wifi network.

"Access to a fast and reliable Internet connection outside of the home is becoming more and more important as people enjoy the Internet more, and as usage grows," says Katherine Emberly, Vice President, Operations, Shaw. "We are pleased to work with the City of Port Coquitlam to give residents access to Shaw Go WiFi, and the same quality Internet experience in city facilities that our customers currently enjoy at home."

A full list of locations is available at www.shaw.ca/wifi or by downloading the Shaw Go WiFi Finder App.