London gets broadband benchmark

net1

One of London's most deprived areas, the London Borough of Hackney, has been chosen for a £20 million (E29m) scheme called Wired Network that aims to create the largest broadband community in Britain.

Online educational courses, video on demand and free local telephone calls are all part of a unique package that will be available to 20,000 people in Shoreditch, East London.

IBM will hand out 20,000 television set-top boxes to residents. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is providing funds for the scheme, which is being seen as a model for “wiring up” Britain.

At the moment, broadband signals degrade over a distance of more than three miles from an exchange, but BT is developing technology to raise this to ten miles and next-generation wireless technology called WiMax can reach 30 miles from a single distribution point, which will help to bring broadband to remote rural areas.

Residents in Hackney will be able to access a five megabit per second broadband service — ten times faster than most existing connections. Services will include access to online CCTV cameras so that vulnerable people can see if it is safe to go out. It will be possible to make doctors' appointments online and welfare-to-work participants will have access to online NVQ and English-language classes. The Wired Network also houses estate chatrooms and entertainment services, with computer games, a community music library and options for digital multichannel television. Residents will take part in online referendums on important local issues.

The scheme is modelled on the example set by Milan, the world's most densely fibre optic-cabled city. One Milan project connected 40,000 buildings through more than 200,000km (124,275 miles) of fibre optic cable.

BGonaSTICK

FFS, is that the best we can do with a 5Mbit connection?

We are all surely doomed to extinction.

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rolfw

LOL, can see it being the main download section for Kazaa, Edonkey and bitorrent.

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Milkybarkid

Well if it's that dangerous to go out in Hackney thank God they have computers so they can order their groceries online.