New Taipei City’s cross-border free WiFi accounts now available at 50 hotspots in Okinawa starting today

▲ In addition to Fukuoka, New Taipei City’s WiFi accounts can now also be used in Okinawa City. The photo shows one of the locations offering free WiFi — Southeast Botanical Gardens. (Photo / fromSoutheast Botanical Gardens’ official Facebook page)

Tourism Center / Comprehensive Report

New Taipei City’s globally pioneering “cross-border free WiFi account roaming” service, which previously partnered with Fukuoka in Japan, is now available in Okinawa City starting May 1st. Residents can simply register for a NewTaipei wireless network account online before traveling, and then enjoy free access to 50 “Free Koza Wi-Fi Okinawa City” wireless hotspots during their trip to Okinawa City.

Last August (2013), New Taipei City Government launched the world’s first “cross-border free WiFi account roaming” partnership with Fukuoka, attracting attention from multiple Japanese cities. In addition to visits from officials in Kawasaki City and Ichikawa City, many citizens also expressed online their hope for more international city WiFi roaming spots, with Okinawa being the most frequently requested.

As the second-largest city in Okinawa, after Naha, Okinawa City enjoys a subtropical climate with an average annual temperature of about 22.4°C, making it a pleasant place to visit. Its proximity to Taiwan has also made it one of the popular travel destinations for Taiwanese in recent years. After more than half a year of setup and coordination, starting May 1st this year, Okinawa City has become the second partner city to collaborate with New Taipei City on the “NewTaipei Wireless Network International Roaming” service.

The over 50 “Free Koza Wi-Fi Okinawa City” wireless hotspot areas include locations such as KOZA Airport Street, Ichiban Shopping Street, Sunshine City Shopping Street, Central Park Avenue, and Okinawa Children’s Land in Okinawa City. Moreover, this service is not limited to residents of New Taipei City. Anyone canvisit the “cross-border free WiFi account roaming” official websiteto register for a free account and use it during future overseas trips. The website also provides information on free roaming hotspots in Okinawa. Currently, Fukuoka offers 51 facilities with over 200 WiFi hotspots for public use.

% Illustration of how to use the New Taipei WiFi account in Okinawa City. (Photo / provided by New Taipei City Government)