Public Wi-Fi at Porto Maravilha Region

As part of Cisco’s Urban Innovation Legacy Program for the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games, Porto Maravilha now features public Wi-Fi coverage powered by Cisco. The service is expected to encourage Rio residents and visitors to explore the new and improved public space in Rio. The initial pilot phase of the Wi-Fi project was launched on May 7 at Mauá Square, with an area totaling approximately 100,000 square meters expected to be in place by July 2016. The free public Wi-Fi will be available to Rio residents and visitors before and after the 2016 Games, while during Games Time, the infrastructure will be dedicated to integrating the public management and services in the area.

The addition of public Wi-Fi to the port region is part of a larger connected urban infrastructure deployed by Cisco and Rio de Janeiro City Hall that aims to create a “living lab” in the region to promote urban solutions in areas such as mobility, tourism, education, health, transportation and public services.

"Technology plays a key role in the development of a city. and Cisco public Wi-Fi effectively contributes to transform Porto Maravilha area into a model of a digital “Human” Smart Neighborhood,” said Nina Lualdi, Cisco Senior Director for Innovation in Latin America. “The infrastructure deployed in the region integrates with the city’s urban operations, and opens new opportunities for business and social development by enabling smart services, and the local innovation ecosystem.”

"The public Wi-Fi, besides being an important driver for residents and tourists to explore Porto Maravilha, can help us to implement and operate new urban smart services in this area," said Alberto Silva, president of Rio de Janeiro Port Region Urban Development Company (CDURP).

For more information about the technology behind this initiative, please click here.