Italy Just Launched Nationwide Free Wifi

Travelling around the world might be easier than ever, but struggling to jump online can still turn a dream holiday into a technological nightmare. Unless you're visiting, Italy, that is. The country's Ministries for Economic Development and Culture have done travellers and its population a solid, and launched nationwide free wifi.

Called Wifi Italia, now available via iTunes and Google Play, and released in both English and Italian, the app allows both tourists and residents to connect to a network of hotspots across the country, with the rollout beginning in favoured visitor haunts such as Rome, Bari, Milan, Trento, Tuscany and Emilia Romagna. Over the coming months, more cities and towns will be added — and users only need sign in once, with the system remembering their authentication details.

So far, The Local reports that the app has been getting mixed reviews — as anyone who has tried to connect to free wifi knows, not all connections are made equal. Still, it's a step in the right direction given how essential internet access has become to our daily lives, and one less thing for visitors to Italy to worry about.

Via The Local / Travel + Leisure. Image: Dennis Jarvis.