Today, Berlin based street furniture specialist and outdoor advertiser Wall AG and the city of Duesseldorf gave the starting signal for the creation of a free and permanent WiFi network in the North Rhine-Westphalian capital. Daniel Wall, Chief Executive Officer of Wall AG, and Duesseldorf's mayor Dirk Elbers jointly inaugurated the first public WiFi hotspot on Koenigsallee. The event marks the beginning of the creation of an inner city WiFi network consisting of 50 hotspots. Wall AG will install the hotspots successively during 2013 and 2014.

At the hotspots situated across Duesseldorf's city centre, tourists and citizens may register free of charge via a website which, after one-time-registration, enables direct internet access. Users can enjoy the free service offered by Wall AG with various mobile devices such as smartphones, tablets and notebooks. Thus, easy-to-use and free-for-all internet access will be available at many points of the city.

Daniel Wall, Chief Executive Officer of Wall AG, is convinced that today a free WiFi network is essential for a functioning urban space: "Free WiFi is of vital importance for cities competing for tourists, but it is also a key factor in enhancing the attractiveness of the public space for their citizens. In the age of smartphones, both citizens and tourists expect this kind of public service. By creating a free WiFi network, we are taking the first step towards a public digital infrastructure. Not least, we are especially delighted to make this move together with a long-standing partner like the city of Duesseldorf."

Duesseldorf's mayor Dirk Elbers welcomes the commitment of Wall AG: "Today, the availability of cost-free internet access is of immanent importance for the attractiveness of cities. As a service for our citizens as well as a handy means for our guests to explore the inner city area, WiFi hotspots are an important and up-to-date addition to the city's information system."

Wall AG already runs a network of modern electronic city information panels in Duesseldorf, which provides an ideal basis for the free WiFi system in the city centre. The WiFi hotspots can thus be easily integrated into the existing Wall-street furniture. Each hotspot will be marked with a large-scale sticker labelled "bluespot Free WiFi" to ensure immediate visibility for users.

With the creation of a free WiFi network in Duesseldorf's city centre, citizens and tourists are offered a service that makes it easier than ever to retrieve information about the city, its people and the whole world while on the go

Wall-Group: Key Facts

• International street furniture supplier and outdoor advertiser in Germany and Turkey


• Part of the international JC Decaux cooperation – the number one in outdoor advertising worldwide


• Innovative street furniture in highest quality design; more than 28 different design-lines


• Made to measure solutions provided by in-house research and development unit


• Single-source production, cleaning and maintenance guarantee highest quality standards


• Intelligent outdoor advertising on more than 91,200 high profile advertising spaces, including 6,605 advertising spaces on means of transportation such as tramways, busses, underground trains and trucks


• Sales division WallDecaux Premium Outdoor Sales with five regional sales-offices in Germany ensures national marketing competence


• Largest national provider of City Light Poster (CLP) format advertising displays in Germany


• Marketing-portfolio in Germany: analogue and digital advertising displays in about 60 cities, AirportNet, ShoppingNet, Leipzig Central Station, Berlinale International Film Festival, Smartphone-App U snap, bluespot, RollAd truck advertising medium, as well as transit advertising in Berlin, including all underground stations


• Number of employees: 1.060 (as at June 30, 2013)