Edited by author 04-26-2003 05:13 PM
Some think that it's simply impossible to blanket an area with WiFi access - that it will all end in tears. Check out our story and then ask: How can we manage our public space Internet provision?

assessing 802.11a vs 11g recently, people were suggesting the advantage of a giving you more channels not because of any technical difference but 'because the space isn't crowded yet'. Soho will be an interesting experiment both socially - it covers a huge number of cafes where people sit and sip and if browsing is going to be a UK habit anywhere it will be here - and techncially to see issues of mass network interaction in a real-world situation (as against the over-networked shows and exhibitions).

It's a commendable effort, and I guess that a lot of other councils will be watching what happens - it's always fun being a pioneer :-) The "intended use" is interesting though if The Register's account is accurate - if the council is planning to move essential services onto this "free" network they are going to run into problems as they fight for bandwidth along with everyone else. It would be tragic if they couldn't issue parking tickets because too many punters were watching video clips :-) And I hope their security is good too - imagine all those open shares - but of course they'll make sure everything is locked down first... No, it's an exciting project and deserves to succeed, but I think it needs more resource than one council body can throw at it..

Edited by author 05-27-2003 07:19 AM
Just as an update: Paris has now decided that anything Westminster can do, Paris can do better.

Conflict of interests alert- how would a council square rollout of its own wireless infrastructure if it already runs a de facto moratorium on mobile phone sites on council property? (Many councils already have this policy)

I'd be very upset if my council spent loads of speculative capital designing and running a large scale WLAN when they have many, many more pressing issues to deal with which affect all sectors of the community, rather than a priviliged subset of the digerati.

More on this here: http://www.planetmikeblog.blogspot.com/200...hive.html#200220740

Edited by author 11-10-2003 12:01 PM
so does anyone know where I can find more information on this, like when it actually was first used if its been put up and what exactly they will be using it for.

Edited by author 11-12-2003 04:53 PM
I guess it must be about time to follow up on this. I'll see what I can find out...

+

Now that you know Westminster's intentions what do you think? http://www.westminster.gov.uk/news/PR-1853.cfm

Where can I find free wireless in the Soho, Bloombury or Camden area ???

Edited by author 04-06-2004 09:26 AM
It's getting more and more confusing. WiFi, in Westminster, is not going to be the preserve of the City of Westminster after all!

It turns out, Local Authorities aren't allowed to make a profit on lamp posts!

Edited by author 04-15-2004 01:28 PM
As I understand the situation they are looking to reduce the cost of deploying CCTV rather than a solution to generate revenue. Improving safety is a key council policy and this offers the chance to do this.