BT backs city-wide Wi-Fi

BT is pressing ahead with plans to wire up six cities with wireless broadband access.

It's already started in Cardiff, where BT Openzone hotspots have been installed in locations in the city centre, while in London's Westminster, BT has decided to expand an existing wireless network.

Other cities on BT's "to do" list are Birmingham, Edinburgh, Leeds and Liverpool, forming the first phase of plans to wire up a dozen UK cities.

According to BT, which has been working with Intel to develop the technology, the wireless cities network will "bring together the very latest technologies and applications for use by public services, businesses and people".

BT Converged Communications Services chief Steve Andrews said: "This is the first key step towards a future of rich, high speed services enabled by new technology.

"The Wireless City initiatives offer wide area wireless broadband access across metropolitan areas, enabling people to use the network on a range of devices for entertainment, education and communication, such as email, video and voice calls, even when they're on the move."

Elsewhere, the University of Abertay, Dundee, has hooked up with wireless firm LastMile Communications to develop a Wi-Fi network for students. Under the agreement, the Abertay campus will become a test bed for LastMile's node-based wireless information system. Trials are due to be carried out over the next six months. ®