London Boroughs mobilise to build cutting-edge wireless network
A Government-funded project is to set up one of London's first metropolitan wireless broadband networks based on the next-generation WiMAX technology.
The network will use the emerging WiMAX standard, which offers high-bandwidth connections over distances of up to 30 miles, to supply the backhaul for conventional wi-fi services to local authority staff and offices.
The London Borough of Lewisham was awarded funding earlier this year to pursue the project through the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's e-Innovations programme.
The initiative aims to explore how councils could harness the benefits of WiMAX and its potential use, for instance, for webcasting, internet telephony and wireless CCTV networks.
Lewisham Council has now begun tendering for a supplier to develop the infrastructure for the wireless network, which is intended to be linked up to its own corporate internet network and that of the London Borough of Croydon.
The network, due to be deployed in early 2006, will be supplemented by wireless 'hotspots' situated within the boroughs.
The Lewisham Airshare project has the benefit of learning from the experience of Brighton & Hove City Council and The University of Sussex, who recently deployed a pre-WiMAX network known as the Brighton Metranet or 'metropolitan intranet', using local company Metranet Communications.
While it is understood that Lewisham's project will focus primarily as council staff as the expected end-users, the metranet already carries traffic from public sector, commercial and educational organisations.
Brighton's network has also opened the door for innovative work within e-Learning, most recently in a project which uses the metranet to train and observe science teachers in a live classroom environment via video-conferencing.
Related Links
Tender Notice - London Borough of Lewisham
Read Brighton & Hove City Council's exclusive article for eGov monitor on the Brighton Metranet here.
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