Brewed Fresh Daily

It may be a relatively new technology but local councils believe Wi-Fi has huge potential to improve the delivery of traditional services and regenerate deprived urban areas. In a move designed to find the best ways for local authorities to roll out wireless broadband networks in cities, the government is backing a major new initiative by Lewisham council to introduce real-time wireless access across the borough... The council's vision is that new wireless networks will provide efficient support for the likes of social workers, who will be able to carry out real-time assessments by remotely accessing files stored on back-office systems. And on a wider basis, officials feel the new network could play an important role in economic regeneration, by encouraging new IT businesses to be based in the area... One of the attractions of wireless networks for financial directors is that mobile working gives councils the opportunity to generate considerable savings by reducing and selling expensive traditional office space.