UK's Royal Festival Hall announces WLAN link

UK public Wi-Fi network provider The Cloud has equipped London's South Bank Centre with a WLAN centred on the arts complex's Royal Festival Hall site.

Ultimately, the company said, it hopes to roll out Wi-Fi across the whole 10.93 hectare (27 acre) site. The South Bank Centre is currently being redeveloped, with building work due to be completed by 2007.

The initial installation, however, covers the public lobby areas on the RFH's levels two and three.

The Cloud has already equipped the British Film Institute's National Film Theatre, also part of the South Bank Centre, with Wi-Fi, and last year kitted out the British Library with WLAN access points. Both projects were central in the South Bank Centre administrators' decision to offer the RFH gig to the WISP, the Centre's head of media services, Owen Pringle, said.

Access is open to anyone with suitable hardware, with not only 802.11b but also 802.11a and 802.11g connectivity supported, if The Cloud's equipment manifest is anything to go by. Prices start at £4.50 ($8.49) for an hour's online time. ®

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