Wi-Fi to be rolled out in all Council sheltered accommodation
Residents living in Winchester City Council sheltered accommodation are set to benefit from improved Wi-Fi provision. The Council has earmarked £115,000 from its housing revenue capital programme to fund a community Wi-Fi network, which is intended to help address the issue of social isolation for residents who have mobility difficulties and no family living nearby.
The cost of installing Wi-Fi will be offset by removing existing individual broadband connections and disconnecting telephone lines which are no longer needed. This means that tenants are unlikely to see any increase in service charges for enhanced Wi-Fi provision.
The Wi-Fi roll-out comes after the Council carried out a tenant-led sheltered services review, which looked at how the authority can improve its services and offer more support to residents.
Council Leader and Portfolio Holder for Housing Cllr Caroline Horrill said:
Using the internet to stay in touch is something that most generations take for granted nowadays. Following feedback from the residents themselves we’ve agreed to invest in Wi-Fi as it better reflects the way that people communicate in today’s world. It’s vital that we listen to what the tenants themselves have to say as they are the people who are in the best position to inform us of how we can improve our services. We want our tenants to feel connected and at the same time reduce social isolation, which can be a challenge in modern society.
The Wi-Fi roll-out plans were agreed at the Cabinet Housing Committee meeting on Wednesday 22 November.