Bristol Plans wi-fi first

Bristol City Council will pioneer later this year what is believed to be the UK’s single largest urban wireless broadband network.

Entitled ‘StreetNet’, the project will set up a outdoor wireless access zone that will deliver high-speed internet services across an area initially covering around three square kilometres. As well as being available to the public, the local authority hopes the network will open up opportunities for greater mobile working by allowing officers out in the field to access systems remotely. The service will be provided through a network of hotspots installed in "street furniture" such as lampposts and touch-screen information kiosks under an agreement with media technology company Cityspace. Work on the Streetnet infrastructure is due to go fully live in the Autumn, with parts of the network already up and running.

"Bristol has always been an innovative city with a thriving tourism, business and residential community", said City councillor Helen Holland, executive member for external affairs and partnerships." Wireless broadband not only brings a useful communications dimension to citizens but a critical support system for local government mobile workers and associated agencies, such as the police and the NHS."

Announcement: http://www.egovmonitor.com/link?133l

I thought this maybe of interest if you didn’t already know. 🙂