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The new plan to roll-out a free wireless Internet (wifi hotspot) network across “scores of public areas” in Newcastle and Gateshead (North East England) could be at risk after it emerged that Spain-based GOWEX, which had been appointed to setup the new infrastructure, had falsified its accounts and filed for bankruptcy.
A new study commissioned by NETGEAR has surveyed 150 small and medium-sized hospitality and leisure venues across the UK, including 2,042 adults, to discover that 43% of hotels, B&Bs and theme parks etc. still think poor or non-existent WiFi Internet access is a price worth paying for a better experience in other areas. Most customers understandably disagreed.
The ITS Technology Group, which builds next generation infrastructure like fibre optic networks, has today acquire the majority shareholding (70%+) in a wireless broadband ISP (CityServe Limited) that specialises in delivering access and other services to social housing and hard to reach homes across East Manchester in England.
Residents of Keswick, a small market town in remote rural Cumbria (England), have been left without access to vital services (e.g. pension and cash withdrawals) for two weeks after the areas local Post Office closed for a refit and the temporary mobile facility that was setup outside found itself unable to function due to a poor “broadband signal“.
Mobile operator Vodafone UK has launched WorldTraveller, which for £5 inc. VAT extra per day will allow pay-monthly customers (including business travellers on certain price plans) to take their existing data (Mobile Broadband), voice and text allowances to a number of major destinations outside of Europe (e.g. the USA and South Africa). Calls and texts received are also free.
The Government has today announced an investment of £6bn to help fund the first wave of 39 new Growth Deals with businesses and local authorities across England, which among other things will also bring new money to build new homes and improve the coverage of superfast broadband services alongside the Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK) programme.
In an odd twist the Government’s Department for Transport has said that a multi-million pound fine, which is being imposed upon state-owned Network Rail for missing performance targets (the penalty could be worth up to £70m), will be used to help fund a £90m investment into rolling out free superfast wifi Internet access on the busiest train routes.