Please note: this is an archived news article release

This article was published on Friday, 26 August, 2016. The information contained within may be out of date or inaccurate. News articles and media releases older than 60 days are archived for future reference.

Telstra launches free public Wi-Fi across Shepparton CBD

Now locals and visitors can access free Public Wi-Fi at some of Shepparton’s busiest shopping locations from Vaughan Street in the south to Fryers Street in the north*.

Telstra Area General Manager Steve Tinker said the relationship with Greater Shepparton City Council formed part of Telstra’s plan to bring world class connectivity to the places people live and work through the rapid expansion of the Telstra Air Wi-Fi network.

“This free public service, comprising 17 high speed hotspots, will provide locals with extensive Wi-Fi coverage in Shepparton through hotspots located at Telstra payphone sites, council parks and playgrounds as well as civic spaces.

“Wi-Fi sessions will not be limited by data - people will be able to use 30 minutes per device per day at each location for free. Customers who have already joined Telstra Air will be able to connect at hotspots with no time restrictions.

“That means anyone using our network will be able to stream standard definition YouTube video content or music or spend time sending emails and keeping track of social media accounts.”

Mr Tinker said the project was another example of Telstra working with local governments to deliver innovative programs and expand services.

“The availability of Wi-Fi means locals and tourists can connect and share experiences online as well as allowing businesses to benefit by attracting and retaining visitors to their locations.”

Greater Shepparton City Council Mayor Dinny Adem said - “The free community Wi-Fi program has been well received by residents and visitors to Shepparton and is a great benefit to our town.

“Free public Wi-Fi is the benchmark for new world cities and is also an important part of keeping Shepparton’s digital economy on the right track. Greater Shepparton City Council is devoted to delivering more lifestyle and leisure opportunities for residents,” he said.

In the past two months we’ve already seen thousands of Wi-Fi connections in Greater Shepparton, showing the popularity of this free public Wi-Fi service.

Telstra Air is Australia’s largest Wi-Fi network and gives Telstra home broadband and mobile customers the ability to connect at more than 500,000 hotspots in Australia. Home broadband customers can also connect at millions of hotspots overseas. Telstra is partnering with councils, business enterprises and governments to bring Telstra Air and access to fast, reliable Wi-Fi to community spaces across the nation.

To login, users can look for the Greater Shepparton Free Community Wi-Fi signs in the city and in parks. Telstra customers can find out more about Telstra Air at: Telstra.com/air

ONLINE SECURITY ADVICE FROM TELSTRA: Like most public Wi-Fi services, Telstra Air and the Shepparton City Wi-Fi networks are open.

When connecting to websites or services over open networks, check for the padlock icon in the address bar of the device’s web browser, as this represents a layer of security for your information. Certain smartphone apps enforce this check automatically.　

Telstra recommends customers use the service for general web browsing and for streaming content and you don’t use any public Wi-Fi networks for things like internet banking or sending and receiving sensitive materials.