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Turku, Finland Rolls Out Cooperative Wi-Fi Network

"Access points cost under 100 euros each and the networks already exist"

In the summer of 1975 I was camping in Turku, Finland. About 10 p.m. I caught a bus, rode into the city center, and followed my city map to the telegraph office. I had to make a telephone call to my office in the U.S., and the telegraph office was the only place to do that.

Today, communicating from Turku to the world is much easier, as Turku has a robust Wi-Fi network with 500 access points across the city, provided by SparkNet. According to Managing Director Jaakko Kuosmanen, SparkNet is not just a network, but a set of services that include authentication, roaming, multi-operator network management and others, which enable cooperation between the public sector, residents and private companies.

"This co-operation means that we have been able to cover the city with Wi-Fi with minimal investments," said Kuosmanen. "Access points cost under 100 euros each and the networks already exist." Each participant in SparkNet brings additional network capacity to the OpenSpark community, which has already spread as far as New York and Brussels.

LouNet, a telco, provides 60 free connections to public locations, said Kuosmanen.
Wayne E. Hanson served as a writer and editor with e.Republic from 1989 to 2013, having worked for several business units including Government Technology magazine, the Center for Digital Government, Governing, and Digital Communities. Hanson was a juror from 1999 to 2004 with the Stockholm Challenge and Global Junior Challenge competitions in information technology and education.