A trial to provide free Wi-Fi services in the Cairns CBD will be undertaken by Council next year after it was agreed at Wednesday's Ordinary Meeting to seek expressions of interest from industry experts.

Wi-Fi allows users to access the internet via mobile devices such as smart phones, tablets, and laptops and free services are common in many tourist locations around the world.

Councillors considered a number of pilot site locations including the Cairns Esplanade, City Place, the CBD library forecourt or the CBD precinct as a whole. The preference for a pilot location is from City Place eastward along Shield Street to the Esplanade.

The final pilot location will be decided after expressions of interest, and outcomes from community consultation with Cairns businesseses are received.

The Melbourne Business School identified free Wi-Fi in Macrossan Street, Port Douglas, would pump around $250,000 into the local economy each year for an outlay of up to $19,000 per annum.

A Council spokeswoman said free Wi-Fi services in Port Douglas would be considered if the Cairns trial was successful.

Local restaurants Zinc and Finz are two Macrossan Street businesses that have led the charge in offering free Wi-Fi.

"We were trying to boost our business levels between lunch and dinner, " said Zinc and Finz restaurants owner, Marco Piat.

"In Zinc it's working well because it's a place you can lounge around in."

But Mr Piat questioned whether free Wi-Fi along Macrossan Street would bring the significant financial benefits outlined by the MBS. Mr Piat said he didn't believe the service would entice visitors to spend more money than they had planned to.

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