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Birmingham City Council in partnership with BT launched birminghamfiz - the UK’s first openly accessible free information zone (fiz), as part of a four day extravaganza that sees the Birmingham enter a new digital era as it officially becames a BT Wireless City.

 

Designed by Digital Birmingham, this groundbreaking innovation will enable people with laptops, mobile phones, hand-held computers and gaming devices using Wi-Fi (wireless broadband) to access information and services from the City Council free of charge through BT’s OpenZone network within the city centre, offering a genuine asset to the business person, resident or visitor on the move.

 

Birminghamfizwill give free access to Birmingham-specific information, relating to topics such as leisure, transport, news and weather whilst people are out and about in the city centre, allowing them to make the most of their visit.

 

“We’re very excited about the potential for birminghamfiz,” says Chris Price, Director of Digital Birmingham. “It’s very much ‘work in progress’ and what’s available now is only the tip of the iceberg. We’re actively developing phase two which will include music and video clips plus commercial aspects such as booking tickets online.”

 

Birminghamfiz is the most groundbreaking feature of Birmingham’s Wi-Fi network which was launched Thursday 27^th September by Aston Villa’s Under-21 star Luke Moore. Luke joined Deputy Leader of Birmingham City Council, Paul Tilsley, to officially open a four-day event in Victoria Square that will demonstrate the benefits to the public and celebrate the city’s status as a BT Wireless City.

 

The launch of extensive Wi-Fi coverage in the city centre follows Birmingham City Council’s pioneering agreement with BT to become one of the UK’s first BT Wireless Cities. The new network covers an area within the city centre, incorporating Queensway across to Moor Street in the east.

 

This includes the landmark areas of New Street, Corporation Street, Victoria Square and Colmore Row and extends out along Broad Street, Digbeth High Street, and areas around Millennium Point and Aston University.

 

It builds on BT’s existing Openzone network and will transform the way people work, talk and play whilst out and about. The important milestone will cement Birmingham’s status as a leading international city for commerce and assist its aim to become Europe’s leading digital city by 2010. http://m.meetbirmingham.com