Installation of a Public Wi Fi (802.11x) Network

by Stephen Hilton on September 30, 2006 · Comments

Bristol City Council has issued the following Expression of Interest. Please bring this notice to the attention of anyne who you feel might be interested

Installation of a Public Wi Fi (802.11x) Network

Bristol City Council invites suppliers to submit an Expression of Interest to invest in the installation and provision of a non-exclusive public wireless network. Initially the network will be deployed in Bristol city centre but is also a council priority to ensure equal access to wireless connectivity in
outlying city neighbourhoods.

The installation of the network would be at the supplier’s cost and risk. Bristol City Council will negotiate over non-exclusive access to its street furniture, buildings, future services and joint marketing linked to community benefits.

To download the service specification and submission requirements visit
www.bristol-cyps.org.uk/wifi

If you are interested in being considered please write to: -

Mr Stephen Hilton
Connecting Bristol Lead
Bristol City Council
Council House
College Green
Bristol BS1 5TR

Or e-mail your proposal to stephen_hilton@bristol-city.gov.uk

The proposal should be returned by 16/10/2006 12.00 noon. Should you wish to arrange a discussion of an outline of your proposal or if you require further details contact Stephen Hilton tel: 07795446286 or email stephen_hilton@bristol-city.gov.uk

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Tagged as: Bristol, City Council, Digital Challenge, digital inclusion, Wireless

  • I think there is some scope with the right model to charge for access to businesses, give them a guaranteed level of service and still have bandwidth to spare that could be made available to the local community cheaper or for free; think of it as a social tax on business, particularly as many businesses have a parasitical relationship with the communities in which they operate, sucking money out and putting nothing back in.

    Looking away from IT & telecommunications, the idea outlined in the first sentence is exactly the opposite kind of model presently used by the banks, which charge private individuals far more than businesses (as a self-employed person I know this to be true).
  • Stephen Hilton
    Free or low cost access would certainly be a great community benefit. I guess the issue is whether any commercial models can be developed that help deliver this. what do you think?
  • I'd like to know more about the 'community benefits' and how a commercially supplied wifi network could do this, particularly in the deprived parts of the city, especially as I know people for whom ordinary broadband packages costing roughly £20/month are too expensive.
  • Gabriel Scally
    I am delighted to see this initiative. I hope that it does extend across the whole city. If it does it will represent a major leap forward for Bristol.
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