Mobile working Toolkit

London council goes wireless

Kablenet.com

Published: 10 Sep 2004 15:25 BST

Lewisham Council has created a model designed to help other local authorities around the UK offer e-government services over a wireless broadband infrastructure.

As part of a national project sponsored by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, Lewisham and its supplier BT have provided a Wi-Fi (wireless local area network) template for other councils to follow, it announced on Friday.

Known as the National Project for Mobile Working (Nomad), the scheme aims to offer practical guidance on wireless technology. Lewisham also hopes that it can use the Wi-Fi network to help people access online services.

Steve Bullock, mayor of Lewisham, said he hopes mobile technology will prove beneficial for the council in several areas.

"We are looking at a range of mobile computing technologies to help us reduce cost and improve the delivery of services across Lewisham," he said. "Developing a public wireless broadband access network across key areas will not only support our front line workforce, but will also encourage new technology-based businesses into the area. Indeed we hope many local people will become new users."

In its first phase, the council is installing the wireless network into a number of its buildings including the town hall. Wireless access points will allow both council employees and members of the public to use their laptop computers to check email and browse the Internet when out of the office.

A council spokesperson said: "We don't want it to seem as though we're making too much of a claim with this. We know that there are some other local authorities that are doing good work with wireless technology, but we want to be at the vanguard, the forefront with Wi-Fi."

"This is a good opportunity for the local community. What we are looking for is to get community-wide coverage. Looking at how we offer online services with this is something in our future plans."