Renfrewshire Council

Our free public Wi-Fi service is available to everyone and offers free access to the internet at town centre outdoor areas and public buildings.

We are currently expanding and upgrading our Wi-Fi service to improve the speed of connection and provide availability at many more council buildings. This includes libraries and leisure centres, community halls, schools, care homes, sheltered housing complexes, and more. The upgrade programme will be complete by September 2024.

Where free public Wi-Fi is available

Free public Wi-Fi is available in outdoor areas in Paisley, Johnstone and Renfrew town centres.

The service is in addition to the customer Wi-Fi available in many of the shops, cafes and restaurants in Renfrewshire's town centres.

The upgraded Wi-Fi service is still being rolled out across a number of council buildings. Please contact the building directly to find out if the service is available there. A full list of buildings where free public Wi-Fi is available will be published in 2024 once the upgrade programme is complete.

The service is also available on Street Stuff buses at various locations around Renfrewshire.

How to connect

To connect to our free public Wi-Fi:

• turn on Wi-Fi in your laptop, tablet or mobile device settings
• look for "Renfrewshire Public Wi-Fi" or "Renfrewshire Public Wi-Fi WPA3" in your list of available networks
• select Renfrewshire Public Wi-Fi and wait for the pop-up window or device notification
• if it's your first time accessing, accept the terms and conditions and click the 'connect to' button.

There is no contract to sign, and we will not ask you for payment details when logging on or using the service.

What you can do once connected

You can take advantage of the benefits of 'on-the-go' connectivity in town centres and in public buildings, such as:

• accessing council services online
• accessing public services online, such as NHS 24
• using social media and email
• reading about news and local events
• checking traffic, transport, and weather
• online shopping.

There is no restriction on how long you can connect to the free public Wi-Fi in outdoor public areas or while buildings are open.

Connection speed is shared and will vary depending on:

• how far you are from a Wi-Fi access point
• what type of device you are using
• how many people are using the service
• the types of applications people are using.

Data and security

We do not collect personal data when you use our free public Wi-Fi service.

The device information we collect includes your MAC (Media Access Control) or IP (Internet Protocol) address. We will not disclose this to a third party. 

The Wi-Fi service complies with the Digital Economy Act 2017.

We use technologies to make sure the network is resilient. For ease of connection, it is an unsecured network. This means you can connect to it without needing to enter a password.

This type of network is often called an "open network". You should take care when inputting confidential information, such as your credit card details, when using the free public Wi-Fi service. Make sure you trust the security of the website (for example, a shop or banking website or App) you are connecting to.

For more information about online security, see the Get Safe Online website.

We use a filter to block content which could be considered a risk to the network or inappropriate to access over a public service. The network is Internet Watch Foundation compliant.

How to provide feedback

If you have any issues using the free public Wi-Fi service, contact the Renfrewshire Public Wi-Fi helpline by phoning 0344 848 9555. Calls cost standard network rates.