The company set a target to have a first phase of 12 Wireless Cities working by the end of March 2007 and it has been achieved as customers have enthusiastically embraced the power of wireless broadband.

BT today named five new Wireless City deployments. They are: Sheffield, Nottingham, Portsmouth, Bristol, and Glasgow. They join Birmingham, Edinburgh, Newcastle, Leeds, Liverpool, Cardiff and Westminster, which were named last year.

The networks provide wire-free, high-speed broadband coverage which can be used for easy access to information and services in city centre locations.

The 12 Wireless Cities mean that local authorities, businesses and citizens will be able to benefit from a greatly increased availability of wireless broadband, which will bring major benefits. Not only can customers benefit from access to all the broadband services normally available at home or in the office, but local authorities can work with BT to develop new mobile services for citizens, increase productivity for their own mobile workers and even provide information, such as available parking spaces and cinema listings.

Steve Andrews, BT chief, Mobility and Convergence, said: "We are delighted that we have met our ambitious target early, but this is just the beginning. Other networks are already being built. Many local authorities are keen to pursue the real benefits to the council, businesses and citizens that a large wireless broadband network can bring."