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Londoners will be able to get free wireless access which will stretch across
a mile-long section of the capital.
The 'Technology Mile' is being financed by Islington Council which took the
decision to fund its creation in order to boost economic activity in the area,
and to encourage local residents onto the Internet. It claims it will be the the
largest free public-access Wi-Fi network built in the UK.
Launched today, the network covers the length of Upper Street from The Angel
up to Highbury Corner, and was constructed for Islington Council by
Cityspace, who provided
the network and BelAir
Networks, who supplied the equipment.
The network is made up of eight interconnecting nodes, and each node could
support up to 50 users simultaneously, depending what demand each made on the
network. Users will connect over 802.11b, although 802.11g is used for the
backhaul.
"This extends the idea of what can be done with Wi-Fi,"
"We started with Wi-Fi networks in coffee shops, now we're moving to
larger projects and venues like trains and sports arenas." |
| Phil Belanger, vice-president of marketing for
BelAir Networks. |
Not quite in the same league as Philadelphia in the US which is
planning a gigantic wireless Internet hot spot covering 135 square miles,
but a mile of free Wi-Fi can't be a bad thing
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