Tel Aviv-Yaffo Municipality is launching a digital revolution as part of the city’s over-all strategic plan to position Tel Aviv as the Startup City – a hub of innovation and creativity.

Free WiFi will be available in 80 different locations city-wide, and will serve residents and visitors to the city. These locations include the beach, entertainment centers and more tourist attractions. 20 of the locations have been suggested by the residents of the city via the municipal Facebook page.

The Tel Aviv-Yaffo Municipality will be one of the first in the world to launch such a project.

The digital revolution includes:

*Digi-Tel city card: the new city card grants personalized discounts by categorizing the Tel Aviv resident: each resident that signs up for the service will be able to receive notifications regarding their residential area in Tel Aviv, and discounts in accordance to the resident’s fields of interest.

* Digital communication with the residents of the city: a mobile application that will advance all residential communication with the municipality to the digital era. Soon residents will be able to pay municipal taxes using this app, receive their parking permit via the app etc.

* Sophisticated GIS maps system with numerous layers of information essential to the residents and visitors of the city such as public institutions, synagogues, public restrooms, parks etc.

* Development of mobile applications using the city’s databases: the Municipality opened dozens of databases to the public in order to improve the public’s access to information. Seventy-two apps were recently created based on these databases, covering many aspects of urban life.

Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai said “The city of Tel Aviv-Yaffo is a leader in innovation and in trailblazer thinking. As a Municipality we facilitate this and encourage an innovative approach in various fields. The city WiFi we are launching today will enable the city’s visitors and residents to enjoy free surfing throughout the city.”

Alon Solar, city council member and initiator of the project adds “The city of Tel Aviv continues to be an attractive environment of innovative initiatives. In our communications era, free access to internet is a basic service. This is another step at positioning Tel Aviv of the 21st century in one line with other global cities.”

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)