MELBOURNE has stepped up its game in the city wars, today becoming the first Australian capital to offer free Wi-Fi across the CBD.

From today, Melburnians and visitors will be able to access the “world class free Wi-Fi Network” the state government just dropped.

The service has been switched on in Melbourne CBD train stations, the Bourke St Mall, Queen Victoria Market, and South Wharf Promenade at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre.

More access points are due to be switched on over the coming months as the $11 million gift from the state’s Labor government is rolled out.

Downloads will be capped at 250MB per device per day and the project will be managed by telco TPG. It’s already been launched in Ballarat and Bendigo where VicFreeWiFi has been available since December.

In a statement announcing the launch of the “world class” CBD network, Victoria’s Small Business Innovation and Trade Minister Philip Dalidakis said: “This is just another reason why Victoria is the country’s home of innovation and technology — we really do have

the best of everything, not only in Melbourne but our regional cities as well.”

In an obvious dig at competing city Sydney, Premier Daniel Andrews tweeted his state’s capital offered “24-hour public transport. 24-hour night-life. And now: 24-hour free Wi-Fi”.