KA-WLAN: A decade of digital participation

Karlsruhe wrote Internet history with the reception of the first e-mail in Germany at today’s KIT, which connected the German Science Network (DFN) with the international Internet. Today, Karlsruhe is one of the leading innovation locations in Germany. With 4,800 IT companies, an excellent research and university landscape, the UNESCO City of Media Arts award and as one of the leading smart cities in Germany, the fan-shaped city is an important driver of digitalization and innovation.

The end of 2024 also marks the tenth anniversary of KA-WLAN, the city’s free WiFi network – an ideal time to look back on a success story. With a clear vision and innovative technology, Karlsruhe has shown in recent years how digital participation can be shaped. At the same time, the focus is on the future: how can this network be further expanded and improved to meet the requirements of an increasingly digital world?

Karlsruhe’s recipe for success: innovation through collaboration

KA-WLAN was launched ten years ago. The aim was to provide citizens, students and guests in the city with free and uncomplicated access to the internet. Getting there required and created cooperation: science, business, administration and civil society came together at one table to make the vision a reality.

Bernd Strehhuber, responsible for implementation at INKA e.V. and a member of the KA-WLAN steering committee, remembers: “The short distances in Karlsruhe were crucial. They are the basis for such innovations.” In addition to Strehhuber, Matthias Hornberger, Chairman of the Board of CyberForum, and Willi Fries from the KIT Computer Center, who has since sadly passed away, as well as the then Stadtmarketing GmbH were also instrumental in the project.

At the request of the municipal council, the first expansion stage was launched in 2014 with a budget of 100,000 euros from the city treasury. At the beginning, the administration was part of the project team through Stadtmarketing GmbH and the city’s media office, following the establishment of the Office for Information Technology and Digitization by the latter and the Science Office, which has been part of the Economic Development Department since the dissolution of Stadtmarketing. The aim was to create a new infrastructure in public places with a certain quality of stay. And to gain further partners for the project.

“The Office for Information Technology and Digitization of the City of Karlsruhe still plays a central role in the operation of KA-WLAN, as it is responsible for providing and maintaining the necessary infrastructure within municipal buildings and facilities,” explains Markus Losert, Head of the Office for Information Technology and Digitization.

An integral part of the Karlsruhe Smart City

The technological basis was formed by a network of partners with their own infrastructures. This creates a large network of many Wi-Fi access points. “That was the game changer – a scalable infrastructure that is supported by many cooperation partners,” explains Strehhuber. The Office for Information Technology and Digitization also played a central role in this by successfully implementing KA-WLAN in administrative buildings such as the town hall and ensuring a seamless connection there.

“Today, KA-WLAN is an integral part of Karlsruhe’s infrastructure,” explains First Mayor Gabriele Luczak-Schwarz, who, as Mayor of Economic Affairs and one of the chairs of the karlsruhe.digital initiative, is a key driver of the project. “Citizens, students and guests benefit from a free connection with no data volume limit – it is even encrypted after a one-off registration.”

Losert adds: “The KA-WLAN is a central component of Smart City Karlsruhe. We are supporting the project wherever possible by using the city’s infrastructure and thus contributing to the further development of digital administration.”

Impulses from the region

The impetus for KA-WLAN was the public WLAN that the neighboring city of Pforzheim introduced in 2013. “That was a real wake-up call. We had to show that we could do it too,” recalls Strehhuber. The focus in Karlsruhe was on a stable, sustainable and future-proof solution. “It wasn’t just about range, but also about safety and quality,” adds Matthias Hornberger.

The results are impressive: In October 2024, KA-WLAN recorded 3.4 million user sessions and 1.8 million surfing hours in just one month. Up to 7,200 users are online at the same time and 210 terabytes of data are transferred every month. The model also won over other cities such as Mannheim and Rastatt, which set up similar networks. “Karlsruhe has become a best-practice example of digital infrastructure,” says Hornberger.

Over 200 access points in Karlsruhe cover highly frequented public places such as the market square, Schlossplatz and the zoo. In the Baden region, there are even 300, as the service has been extended to the region under the name BADEN-WLAN.

KA-sWLAN: secure surfing after one-time registration

The KA-sWLAN is an encrypted addition to the KA-WLAN. “The one-time registration not only makes access easy, but also secure,” explains Klara Mall, head of the NET department of the Scientific Computing Center (SCC) at KIT. After registering once by e-mail address, users can surf the KA-sWLAN securely and encrypted at all KA-WLAN access points – free of charge and without data limits, of course.

The two systems – KA-WLAN and KA-sWLAN – work together seamlessly and enable secure, uncomplicated use. “With KA-sWLAN, we close the gap between easy accessibility and data protection,” emphasizes Hornberger. With BADEN-sWLAN, this also applies to the Baden region – and all with the same access data.

A vision for the future: digital participation as a fundamental right

Willi Fries, one of the driving forces behind KA-WLAN, is remembered by his colleagues as a visionary. “Willi understood the importance of digital participation early on,” says Klara Mall. One of his unconventional ideas was the first test hotspot in the Hoepfner Burg beer garden, right next to the Karlsruhe brewery. The foundation stone for today’s network was laid there.

Since then, the network has grown and Karlsruhe is now a role model for digital infrastructure in Germany and therefore always ranks well in the BITKOM Smart City Index. “Digital participation is not a luxury, but a cornerstone of modern and inclusive city life,” explains First Mayor Gabriele Luczak-Schwarz.

Joint project and clear structures

KA-WLAN is the result of a broad-based joint project that was successfully implemented through close cooperation and targeted structures. The project is coordinated and financed by the Science Office of the Economic Development Department of the City of Karlsruhe. The steering committee forms the strategic heart of the project. INKA e.V., the CyberForum, the Science Office of the Economic Development Agency, the Office for Information Technology and Digitization of the City of Karlsruhe, TelemaxX Telekommunikation GmbH and the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) work closely together here.

The project is supported by a number of other partners who are strengthening the network and promoting the expansion of KA-WLAN. These include

• Cultural institutions such as the Badische Landesbibliothek, the Badische Landesmuseum, the Badische Staatstheater, the Naturkundemuseum Karlsruhe and the Staatliche Kunsthalle.
• Educational institutions such as the Baden-Württemberg Cooperative State University, the University of Music, the Karlsruhe University of Applied Sciences – Technology and Economics, the Karlsruhe University of Education and the Karlshochschule International University.
• Companies and organizations such as Karlsruher Verkehrsverbund GmbH, Stadtwerke Karlsruhe GmbH, TelemaxX Telekommunikation GmbH and Vermögen und Bau Baden-Württemberg.
• Public institutions and associations, including the Badische Landesbibliothek, the Studierendenwerk Karlsruhe AöR, the Stadtjugendausschuss e.V. Karlsruhe as well as the district administration Landratsamt Karlsruhe and many museums
• Tourism and media partners, such as Karlsruhe | Tourismus and the ZKM | Center for Art and Media.

This close cooperation between scientific, economic, cultural and public stakeholders has made KA-WLAN one of the most successful urban digital infrastructures. Together, we are working on further expanding digital participation in Karlsruhe and meeting the requirements of the future.