Norwich to move closer to getting a new Wi-Fi broadband service

Following a recent meeting with scheme proposers a group of business chiefs have offered encouragement to invest in the city of Norwich, which means that its project to get a new Wi-Fi broadband network is now even closer to beginning.

In order to give both families and businesses the facility of getting online whilst in the city centre, Babcock Network, an engineering support services company expressed an interest in deployment the new Wi-Fi system in Norwich according to a popular local online newspaper.

The head of the Norfolk Chamber of commerce recently advised that a meeting to discuss these latest plans had been a great chance to talk about priorities and issues for local businesses and had been a highly constructive session.

Caroline Williams, the chief executive said “The prospect of faster broadband for Norwich business is very exciting and we are encouraging Babcock to invest in Norwich and, as a consequence, Norwich business. They are currently reviewing the business case for their investment and we will be working with them to try to ensure that they come to a positive decision in the near future.”

In July 2006 the Norfolk OpenLink project was launched at a cost of £1.35 million and saw Norwich becoming one of the first cities in the UK to enjoy Wi-Fi access for free. Last year, however, saw the two-year project turned off as reached the end of its service contract, although it highlight both the demand and need for such a service.

The news that a new service may be operational by April 2010 has given new hope to many businesses that wish to have Wi-Fi access available on their laptops, mobile phones and iPhones. Key areas of demand will initially be focused on with the service becoming available on zonal-based coverage. The next few months will see Babcock Networks deciding whether or not to go ahead with the plans.

Source – Evening News 24