City News

BIRMINGHAM today confirmed itself at the forefront of exploiting digital technology by signing  an  agreement  with BT for the creation of a street-based wireless city communications network.

The agreement forms part of the Digital Birmingham initiative, a partnership between Birmingham City Council, and other public, private and voluntary sector organisations who share the ambition to establish Birmingham as the leading European digital city by 2010. 

The  Wireless Birmingham Wi-Fi network will cover a square mile area of the city centre.

Today’s  formal agreement is part of BT’s Wireless Cities initiative, which will  see Birmingham leading the way in early 2007, followed by other major UK cities in the first phase of an ongoing programme.

Birmingham’s plans are the most advanced of the cities that signed up for the programme in May.

Cllr  Paul  Tilsley, Deputy Leader of the City Council, said: “The Wireless Birmingham agreement is a clear demonstration of how well we have worked in partnership  with BT – who are making a significant financial investment to establish this network.

“It  shows  the  commitment  both sides of the partnership have to ensuring Birmingham is recognised as at the leading edge of digital developments and that  the  city  becomes  the  first  truly  sustainable  wireless  city in conjunction with a private sector partner.

“The  project offers endless opportunities and possibilities – not least of which  is to enable us to deliver our services in a creative and innovative way.  Many  cities have plans to implement such wireless networks, but this agreement   shows  we  are  serious  about  competing  on  a  national  and international  stage  when  it  comes  to  establishing  the  technological facilities that today’s world requires.”

BT  will  fund  the  city  centre  network, with the City Council providing access  to  its  street  lamp  posts  in  order  to  create  the  essential infrastructure.

In  a  groundbreaking  innovation,  people  with  laptops,  mobile  phones, hand-held  computers  and gaming devices using Wi-Fi (the industry standard for  connecting  devices  wirelessly  to  the  web)  will be able to access information  and  services  from the City Council free of charge through an internet portal.

The  portal  will  give free access over the network to Birmingham-specific information  relating  to  topics  such  as  health, transport, events, and schools, whilst people are out and about in the city centre.

It  will  also  enable  the  council  to  provide  free  wireless access to educational  information  anywhere  within  the  city  centre including the city’s 50,000 higher education students, using the same technology they are familiar with as it is already installed in many schools and colleges.

As well as the free services, people will be able to buy vouchers or subscribe to innovative services such as BT Openzone and Fusion, and a range of new applications and services for consumers and businesses, allowing them to remain contactable, access broadband wirelessly and surf the web whilst on the move.   
          
The City Council will also use the BT Wireless Cities network to pilot a range of  pioneering  initiatives  which  will improve the delivery of a range of public services, from the spring. These could include: mobile office devices for Birmingham street wardens,  who  provide face-to-face assistance and security  for the citizens, visitors and business owners of Birmingham; and Wireless  CCTV, which will be used for city centre management, security and parking services. On successful completion of a pilot, it is the intention of both parties to formalise an agreement for the future running of the service.

Carefully  planned by the project partners, the initial coverage area is to maximise  citizen  and  business  benefit  by  including  the  professional district,  the  ICC,  NIA  and  Brindleyplace,  Broad Street, the Jewellery Quarter,  Eastside,  Digbeth, and the main retail areas. Aston Science Park and Millennium Point are also to have coverage from day one.

The development and operational costs of the network will be borne entirely by  BT  –  there  is  no  cost burden on the taxpayer for the provision and management of the network.

Frank  Mills,  BT’s  West  Midlands  regional director, said: “It is a real testament  to how forward-thinking and ambitious Birmingham City Council is in  wanting  to  reap  the  benefits  that a BT Wireless Cities network can bring.  This  is one of the first of many licensing and applications agreements BT is planning with local authorities around the UK.

“Key  to the success of this agreement has been that BT and Birmingham City Council have worked closely together to ensure we’re not just rolling out a network  of  hotspots,  but  guaranteeing  that  the  Council has the right applications  in  place  to  make  wireless  public services work for every resident, every council worker, every business owner and every tourist.  We believe that partnering with local authorities is the most successful model for  creating a true Wireless City and the people of Birmingham will notice a  significant difference in the way they can use the network on a range of devices  for  entertainment, education and communication, even when they’re on the move.”

Birmingham  City  Council  and  BT  are  founder  members  of  the  Digital Birmingham  partnership  which  has the ambition to establish Birmingham as the leading European Digital City by 2010.