4 January 2006

A number of major cities across the UK are to provide wireless access to the Internet to local residents.

A pioneering initiative is being launched to introduce "clouds" of broadband wireless access to the cities of Edinburgh, Leeds, Manchester, Birmingham, Nottingham, Oxford, Cambridge, Liverpool and the three London Boroughs of Kensington, Chelsea, Camden and Islington.

Overall, the project will bring wireless Internet access to more than four million people.

Every city centre Wi-Fi hotspot will turn broadband-speed Internet into radio signals that can be picked up by people's laptops, PDAs and certain mobile phones.

It gives people the opportunity to send emails, play games, make cheap phone calls or access work-related computer networks whilst on the move in the city.

The company behind the project, known as The Cloud, has already Wi-Fi enabled London's Canary Wharf, Old Trafford and the British Library.

"In 2004 we built the largest hotspot network in Europe, but this is the first time anyone has brought wireless Internet access to the UK public on this scale," commented George Polk, CEO of The Cloud.

He added: "We are also excited about the possibility of working with local authorities and councils to expand these networks so that together we can bring advanced wireless Internet access to as many people as possible."

© Adfero Ltd

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