Norfolk Open Link

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Norfolk OpenLink logo
Norfolk OpenLink logo

Norfolk Open Link is the free wireless service offered by Norfolk County Council in Norwich city centre, and areas of South Norfolk. Norfolk Open Link is the first community wireless network in the UK to provide free internet access for the public sector, the business community and the general public.[1]

The network - operational since July 2006 - is run on a pilot basis, with service intended to terminate in March 2008. In November 2007, the County Council ran a short survey to assess the impact of the service[2]; after the service ends, a report will be compiled into the impact it has had.[3]

The project is not allowed to compete with commercial WiFi services, so the access speed for businesses and the public has been restricted to 256 kilobits per second, with sessions limited to an hour. A welcome screen displayed to users upon connecting to the network allows public sector staff to login, and access the internet at 1mb per second.

[edit] References

  1. ^ "Norfolk Open Link - UK's Largest Free Wireless Network Goes Live in Norwich", eGov monitor. Retrieved on 2008-01-15. 
  2. ^ "Views sought about future of Norfolk Openlink", Norfolk County Council. Retrieved on 2008-01-15. 
  3. ^ "Frequently Asked Questions", Norfolk OpenLink. Retrieved on 2008-01-15. 

[edit] External Links