Free Wi-Fi has been deployed across the Norwich city centre. The roll-out has been pushed by the Norwich Business Improvement District (BID) with an investment worth £100,000 to transform part of Norwich’s key shopping areas into hot-spot enabled places that can offer download speeds of up to 5Mbps.
Benefiting form the wireless internet service are areas around Surrey Street, Chapelfield Gardens, Exchange Street, Norwich Market and Gentleman’s Walk. The free service will be extended over the rest of Norwich Lances, including other areas surrounding the city centre, in the following months. This move could boost up the sales both in-store as well as online, hope the retailers and digital businesses here, as it provides faster connectivity for those using smartphones to buy online, while on the high-street. An earlier trail project was deployed by the East of England Development Agency in 2006, but the free Wi-Fi project was shut down after the end of the trail period.
Executive director of Norwich BID, Stefan Gurney, said it is vital to invest in infrastructure which aids growth of digital technology that benefits visitors ad businesses. It helps for a reputation as a Tech Nation City, to help put Norwich as a tech leading city on the map and as a more connected place to live, work and visit.
