Manchester city council has invited expressions of
interest from suppliers in the first step towards a citywide
broadband wireless network that is set to be the largest in
Europe.
The council is initially planning to cover an area of 100 square
miles, but hopes the network will eventually cover up to 400 square
miles – 90% of the Greater Manchester area – and 2.2 million
people.
Council leader Richard Leese said, “We have been inspired in our
plans by the success of wireless and broadband networks in other
leading cities around the world, such as San Francisco and
Amsterdam.”
Manchester hopes the plans for the network will boost its bid
for funds from the government’s Digital Challenge Initiative, which
will award money to a city or region that can act as a national
exemplar in digital advancement.
The Manchester announcement is the latest – and potentially
largest – of a series of moves to create wireless networks in UK
cities. Last week Westminster city council approved plans to extend
a wireless network across its area following its successful pilot,
while Birmingham launched plans for a Wi-Fi network to cover a
square mile of the city centre last month.
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