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Monday, 29.04.2024
eGovernment Forschung seit 2001 | eGovernment Research since 2001

Expansion is made possible through Sunderland’s smart city infrastructure, the result of a 20-year partnership between the council and BAI Communications.

Residents and visitors to the city of Sunderland in northern England can access free, superfast and reliable wifi in more outdoor places following a network expansion by Sunderland City Council and BAI Communications.

The expansion is made possible through Sunderland’s smart city infrastructure – the result of a 20-year strategic partnership between the council and BAI – and will enable the number of access points tripling as the rollout continues over the coming weeks.

Public wifi availability

Free, superfast public wifi has been available at Keel Square and High Street West, since December 2019 when it was launched by Sunderland City Council, then extended out to the coastal stretch between Roker and Seaburn six months later.

The footprint of where the service is available is expanding by an extra 1.5 square kilometres, accompanied by a much denser coverage across the city for a more reliable and superfast connection.

Free public wifi in Sunderland is certified by Friendly Wi-Fi, the safe certification standard for public wifi. The Friendly Wi-Fi logo represents the safety standard for public wifi, and users of the service across Sunderland can feel confident that it is filtered to meet the minimum levels of protection. This means that inappropriate content will be automatically filtered to help prevent such material being accessed by children or young people on their devices in public places.

People across the city will start to see adverts and information promoting the “1, 2, Free” campaign which aims to inform residents and visitors to Sunderland how easy it is to access the free wifi.

The expansion underlines the partnership’s commitment to bringing safe, superfast and reliable connectivity, via its growing smart city infrastructure, to people living in and visiting Sunderland.

“We are passionate about creating better connected experiences for all, ensuring no one and nowhere is left behind as we continue to expand the availability of free, superfast public wifi in Sunderland city centre and the coast at Roker,” said Liz St Louis, director of smart cities at Sunderland City Council.

“This extended access will not only allow for greater digital inclusion, it will open up new opportunities for seamless connectivity from place to place. Our focus is on superfast, reliable and uninterrupted connectivity – our ultimate ambition is that wherever a person is in the city, they can connect and stay connected, no matter where they move to around Sunderland city centre and out to the coast at Roker.”

She continued: “People have asked us how this differs from what they already receive through their device from their mobile provider – the key difference is that what we are developing with BAI is a high-speed network and importantly, in our free public wifi zones, people can simply click and go, saving their own data as they utilise our superfast, reliable network.”

Claire Venners, general manager at BAI North, added: “Removing barriers to connectivity is critical to bridging the digital divide, and we’re delighted to be further expanding our wifi network to ensure everyone in Sunderland has the opportunity to access fast, reliable internet access at no cost when out and about.

“Combining our expertise with such a forward-thinking local authority will ensure people and businesses across the city will reap the many benefits of enhanced digital connectivity, both now and in the future as we move towards a 5G world.”

5G digital infrastructure

The latest extension of high-speed connectivity is part of a wider strategy comprising numerous collaborative projects led by Sunderland City Council and partner BAI, to augment Sunderland’s digital infrastructure for the benefit of everyone across the city and further boost Sunderland’s reputation as a connected, international city.

The partnership also includes the building of a new private 5G network across the city, including a 5G test lab in the University of Sunderland, making it one of the UK’s first 5G-enabled universities.

The North East Local Enterprise Partnership’s (LEP) Getting Building Fund and the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) have underpinned the Sunderland Smart City Infrastructure project with a joint investment of £4.5m. This investment continues to support the acceleration of regeneration across Sunderland Riverside and the city centre.

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Quelle/Source: Smart Cities World, 05.04.2023

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