City of Offenbach promotes free WLAN
01.12.2023 – On November 15, 2023, the municipal council of the city of Offenbach adopted a free radio funding guideline. It came into force on December 1, 2023.
To make the Internet accessible to everyone, several municipalities and federal states are supporting the installation of Freifunk Wi-Fi routers. Specifically, this means that individuals or businesses receive a grant if they set up a Freifunk router in Offenbach, which others can use to browse the Internet, access information, and stream radio or movies. “As a city, we support the goals of the Freifunk community—specifically, the expansion of open networks that are organized and maintained in a decentralized manner by our citizens on a volunteer basis,” explains Mayor Dr. Felix Schwenke. “Unfortunately, not everyone has access to the internet yet. For many people, internet access is simply too expensive. With this policy, we want to promote the participation of all population groups in digitalization in line with the federal government’s Digital Strategy 2025. This also includes giving everyone the opportunity to use the internet and access information, and of course we also want to promote civic engagement.” The city also expects this to result in broader coverage of free Wi-Fi services for guests and visitors.
A broad and stable Freifunk network requires a large number of connected Wi-Fi routers. For this reason, the City of Offenbach’s Freifunk guidelines subsidize private investments in the latest generation of OpenWRT routers with dual-band mode, which are integrated into the continuous operation of a Freifunk network. Indoor routers are subsidized at 100 percent up to a maximum of 100 euros, and outdoor routers at 100 percent up to a maximum of 150 euros. The subsidy is available to both individuals with their primary residence in Offenbach and companies with their headquarters or a branch in Offenbach. The requirement is that they purchase an OpenWRT-compatible router that is included on the list at www.offenbach.de/and integrate it into the Freifunk network within the city limits using a unique identifier, while maintaining continuous Freifunk network operation—that is, 24 hours a day.
Funding is provided for the purchase of one device per person. In exceptional cases, funding may also be provided for multiple devices—for example, in cafés and restaurants where a single access point would not be sufficient, and for private individuals or business owners who, due to their proximity to public spaces, have the ability to provide coverage for those areas.
The application can be submitted digitally. The following must be attached to the application: proof of identity, a receipt or copy of an invoice showing the model number, a bank transfer form or proof of payment, and, as proof of functionality within the network, a printout of the Freifunk statistics or a comparable document.