Local authorities' Wi-Fi rollout

Convenient access to the internet has become essential. We now expect ever-increasing data speeds at home, whether that’s to stream content from Netflix, communicate instantaneously with thousands of Twitter followers or just to do the banking.

We’re now demanding a similar level of service in our public spaces, an expectation that is rapidly going beyond the Wi-Fi hotspots (aka Wi-Fi in the library) which have been so convenient in recent years.

With that in mind, some of the most interesting work in this field is currently being carried out by local councils, many of whom are busy constructing their own Wi-Fi networks to furnish entire town centres.

The most high-profile of these is probably the City of London, which is preparing its own roll-out across the Square Mile having enlisted the services of O2, Cisco and Cornerstone Telecommunication Infrastructure. Towns that are already up and running, meanwhile, include those in Watford, Edinburgh, Newcastle and Cardiff.