Cambridge has put on trial a year-long free public Wi-Fi project right in time for the Tour de France, becoming one of the first UK cities to rollout free public Wi-Fi.
Launched by Connecting Cambridgeshire and the University of Cambridge with service provided by British Sky Broadcasting (BSkyB) owned The Cloud network, the free Wi-Fi project will have over 20 new Wi-Fi access points being installed on public buildings and lampposts at different key locations across Cambridge including Parker’s Piece, the Senate House, King’s Parade, and also the area surrounding the city’s main market.
“Developing wider public access Wi-Fi and improving mobile coverage is part of the Connecting Cambridgeshire programme’s drive for better connectivity across the county, which is vital in an increasingly digital world. This trial paves the way for improving wireless connectivity across the city and beyond,” said Councillor Steve Count, Leader of Cambridgeshire County Council.
In order to use the free Wi-Fi, users will have to connect their devices to the Wi-Fi network by either logging in or registering via a shared landing page on The Cloud.
Councillor Lewis Herbert, Leader of Cambridge City Council, said “Cambridge has a global reputation for innovation. We want to enhance this by ensuring we are digitally connected, making sure people can access the internet on the go.
“This is just the beginning of our plans to expand public access wi-fi for the city and beyond, so more people can share the benefits of being connected, wherever they are.”
The trial begins just a week before the Tour de France is slated to hit the city on 7 July. The Council will monitor the demand for the service over the next 12 months to decide if the scheme needs to be extended further in the future or not.
