Birmingham Science Park (Aston) has been chosen as the first location for Birmingham City Council (BCC) to trial its new 'Digital Districts' 4G ( WiMAX ) based broadband wireless internet access service to visitors. The trial will be used to gather feedback and assist in planning for a future expansion, possibly to cover the whole city.


The service itself will be installed and maintained by UK Broadband, which is owned by Hong Kong's PCCW. The Daisy Group sold its fixed WiMAX broadband wireless radio spectrum to UK Broadband Limited for a cash price of £12.5m in June 2010 (here). UK Broadband now offers equipment and wireless services to the telecommunications industry, ISPs, channel partners and the public sector.

However, due to various spectrum regulation issues and other technical matters that still have to be resolved, the needed service/spectrum is not due to be commercially available for use until at least 2012.

UPDATE 1:00pm

Had Daisy Group and UK Broadband the wrong way around, corrected.