Cardiff City Council has become the latest local authority to roll out its wireless network as part of its plans to become a ‘wireless city.’
The council has just announced it will be working with BT to identify key areas where the network can be extended to other parts of the city centre outside the airport, Millennium Stadium and parts of Cardiff Bay.
Cardiff’s inclusion in the wireless cities programme ensures that all customers - whether consumers, businesses or public sector organisations – can take advantage of the many opportunities wireless technology brings. It should also make the city a more attractive place to do business while having the knock-on effect of attracting new industries.
The move follows similar schemes with Westminster City, Waltham Forest LBC, and Birmingham, Newcastle and Liverpool city councils.
Steve Andrews, BT chief of mobility, said: ‘Cardiff’s decision to work with BT to extend its wireless city network will open up a raft of new opportunities for local businesses, citizens and visitors to benefit from access to all the high-speed broadband services normally available at home or in the office.’
Cllr Mark Stephens, the council’s executive member for economic development and finance said: ‘This is very exciting news for Cardiff and demonstrates once again how far the city has come in recent years and is truly a world class quality of life capital city for Wales.’
BT will be responsible for funding the rollout of the extension of the Wireless Cities network and will include best of breed technology and services from Motorola, Tropos and other suppliers in the process.
The development and operational costs of the network will be borne entirely by BT.