Citizens and visitors to Paris are to get free access to
Wi-Fi broadband internet across the capital.
In the UK, BT and local authorities have made big noises about
“wireless cities” being built by BT using Wi-Fi, but these only
allow users to get access to a council intranet.
To surf the web, UK users in the cities covered by the Wi-Fi
networks have to pay.
A number of US cities already offer or are planning to offer
free citywide Wi-Fi access.
The city of Paris has jointly awarded
Alcatel-Lucent and SFR, the second largest mobile telecoms
operator in France, a contract to supply and integrate the first
urban Wi-Fi network in France.
Alcatel-Lucent will integrate and deploy the turnkey Wi-Fi
network. SFR will be responsible for the operation, monitoring and
maintenance of the Wi-Fi network, as well as the customer service
and the Web portal.
The launch of the network will take place in the third quarter
of 2007.
The Wi-Fi network enables the city of Paris to offer broadband
wireless using 400 new access points.
Citizens and visitors will benefit from access to Wi-Fi services
free of charge, confirmed the suppliers.
Related article:
BT names another five “wireless cities”
The inaugural Pan-European Congress for Municipal
Wireless Networks
More on wireless cities:
http://www.wirelesscities.org
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