Dubliners can look forward to free wireless internet access anywhere in the capital if Dublin City Council goes ahead with plans to launch a WiFi internet service.
Such a service would allow everyone from commuters on buses to tourists in city parks to access the web from wireless devices.
The council has tendered for consultants to offer advice regarding regulatory, technological and financial issues surrounding the deployment of a citywide wireless broadband-access service.
"Many European and US cities have set up citywide WiFi networks which are independent of the private sector," said Brian Curtis, Dublin City Council's IT manager. "We have a tender out for advisers to give independent advice on a number of issues around citywide WiFi access."
The consultants are expected to be appointed in the next four to five weeks and will report their findings to the council at the end of June, said Mr Curtis.
WiFi allows you to access the internet without the need for wires. Hotspots, or areas that offer WiFi access, can be found in selected locations in the capital such as libraries, hotels, conference centres, cafes and public buildings. However, the city council's plans would allow internet access from anywhere in the city.
Building a WiFi network for a city the size of Dublin could cost between €12 million and €20 million, according to Mr Curtis.
As well as Dublin residents, the service could be accessed by tourists, business people visiting the city, mobile workers and the voluntary sector. A number of commercial companies in Ireland already provide wireless internet access.
Mr Curtis said the council's network was not intended to provide competition to commercial operators already offering wireless and fixed line services.
Digiweb head of strategic development John Quinn said that, because the council's WiFi service would typically be in the unlicensed radio spectrum, it would not impact on more secure licensed commercial operators.
"The challenge, in particular in Ireland, for WiFi is managing unlicensed spectrum and there is no real way to do this," he said. "Because it is an unlicensed network, you don't protect the operator and users are competing with a lot of other radio traffic and congestion in that space."
However, he said he would support any initiative that encourages broadband take-up in Ireland.
"By using WiFi hotspots, people would be encouraged to take up superior high-speed connection at home or in the workplace from providers such as Digiweb."