Johnson supports wireless internet access underground

With the 2012 Olympic Games fast approaching the country’s capital city is preparing itself for a mass influx of visitors from around the world, and offering far greater levels of internet access across the city is one of the ways in which it hopes to impress visitors.

Whilst 2012 may seem a long way off the Olympic Games, which are to take place in London at that time, are fast approaching. London is set to see a huge number of visitors from around the world descent upon the city for the games, and steps are being taken to ensure that visitors will feel welcome and will be impressed by the country’s capital.

One of the ways in which London is hoping to impress is through an increase in the number of WiFi internet hotspots, and officials are all too aware that whilst some people may be able to use mobile broadband networks to get online there are many that will need to rely on WiFi hotspots to access the Internet. The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, has already outlined the plans to massively boost WiFi access across the city.

Johnson has now given his support to WiFi hotspots being installed in London Underground stations, and said that he was happy to look at any ideas that would offer improvements as well as being financially viable. He said: “The truth is that I’m on the side of progress if we possibly can do it. We could do it because I do think people want the facility of looking at their BlackBerrys.”

This is an idea that has been banded around before but was not seen as financially viable. Earlier in the year a London Underground official said: “We tendered for a trial of mobile phone technology on the Waterloo and City line, but the market has yet to provide a commercially viable solution.”

Source – IT Pro