Recent Win by Falmouth for the UK’s Best Digital High Street Award

Falmouth, the idyllic coastal town of Cornwall, has been recognised at the Association of Town and City Management (ATCM) awards held in London. 

Falmouth was honoured with two accolades - the prestigious Partnership of the Year award and their Free WiFi project achieving the UK’s Best Digital High Street project.

Free Public WiFi from WiFi SPARK

Launched in 2018 in partnership with WiFi SPARK, the project has led to the first full provision of free WiFi within the main areas of the town. The scheme is a significant part of the process of Falmouth being established as a ‘digitally smart’ town.  

It’s a brilliant way for the town to demonstrate its vibrancy and sense of community - all by keeping residents connected and informed.

How Did We Do This?

WiFi SPARK set up 17 WiFi access points catering to the length of the high street - along the distance from the Maritime Museum to Events Square. The tailored WiFi service is free for visitors to use and the bandwidth allows videos to be streamed smoothly - enhancing user experience.  

The introduction of such a significant service will have a great impact on the number of visitors contributing to the town’s tourism and - as a result of this - the general public’s opinion of Falmouth as a tourist destination.  

This increase in visitors is great news for the town’s retailers, independent shops and cinema - contributing positively to the world of retail which is generally struggling. The more visitors to the town, the more time and money spent on the high street.   

What Did We Achieve?

Within its first year of use, the free WiFi service has been well-received by visitors - with statistics revealing that each day it sees an average of 250 users and has had more than 90,000 device sessions since last year’s launch. Analysing figures such as these make it clear to see how Falmouth has earned the title of ‘UK’s Best Digital High Street.'

Falmouth BID Manager Richard Wilcox said: “This is great news for Falmouth and Cornwall and bears testament to the value of partner-working, especially where resources are modest. Vibrant places are those that bring together all elements of their community to help shape them and Falmouth is a brilliant example of a town that does just that.”

Of Falmouth’s win, the judges commented: “In a difficult climate, it is clear to see that by working together, we can improve our town centres and tackle our shared challenges head on and Falmouth has risen to the challenge superbly. 

“Facing major infrastructure works, the loss of traditional retailers, and with comparatively limited resources, the team have built critical partnerships and strong relationships with a host of stakeholders that have delivered real outcomes, and surely built the foundations for future success.” 

Being able to see how many visitors connect to the service, where they tend to gather and the paths they take through the high street is invaluable for the resource planning and efficiency of the town centre.   

Discover the Results of an Effective, Personalised WiFi Service 

It’s important when selecting a WiFi provider for your business, you choose one which offers features to benefit both your customers and your business. The ability to see statistics about your visitors while providing a free, integrated service for them is valuable for both parties.  

To find out more details about the success Falmouth experienced in implementing this personalised WiFi service, click the link below to download the full case study. In this, we delve into the challenges, methods and results involved in the WiFi installation.