I found these article's on the bbc site interesting:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4770188.stmhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4578114.stmhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/4579718.stmhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4785742.stmAll of which are related to creating WiFi dataclouds over complete city or rural areas. Most of them are commercial in nature but surely this could also come under the Building Schools for the Future remit of provision not only for the school but also "for the surrounding estate"
A quick digest of the articles to whet your appetite:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4770188.stm
In some British cities, plans are advancing to set up so many hotspots that entire neighbourhoods become wi-fi enabled. One of the biggest will be in London's Square Mile; it will give more than 350,000 workers always-on access to the net.
At the same time, many local authorities have equipped kiosks with wireless access so their residents can use the web when they are on the High Street.
These moves to set up wi-fi zones rather than just hotspots look set to let people take their online lives with them wherever they are.
Dr Jo Twist, senior research fellow at the Institute for Public Policy Research, said once the net was ubiquitous like power and water, it had the potential to be "transformative".
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http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4578114.stm
A UK company that has created wireless hotspots in stations, coffee shops and hotels around the UK is planning to launch city-wide wi-fi this spring.
The Cloud will bring wireless broadband to nine cities including London, Manchester and Birmingham.
Hundreds of hotzones will be rolled out across the cities, giving access to the internet for anyone using a wi-fi enabled computer or mobile phone.
More cities are expected to be announced during 2006.
The first phase will see hotzones set up in Edinburgh, Leeds, Manchester, Birmingham, Nottingham, Oxford, Cambridge and three London boroughs - Islington, Kensington and Camden.
It is expected that the new wireless internet network will reach more than 4 million people.
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http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/4579718.stm
Smart lampposts that could provide high-speed internet access are set to go on trial in Scotland.
The idea will be piloted later this month in Dundee but could spread further afield.
Backers of the project plan to install six of the solar-powered, internet-capable lights on a rooftop at the University of Abertay.
Later in the year they plan to install up to 4,000 more in a student village to be built for the university.
The idea will combine lampposts with solar energy and wi-fi wireless internet access.
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http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4785742.stm
Intel says it will bring forward the rollout of its new scheme for long-range wireless internet access.
Cards allowing access to Wimax (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access) are now expected to be available this year.
Wimax is billed as a successor to the much shorter range wi-fi technology.
Whereas wi-fi range can be measured in yards, Wimax could potentially reach a few kilometres in cities and 16km (10 miles) in open country.
Analysts suggest the Wimax technology could be particularly helpful in rural areas, where broadband coverage can be limited.
It could also have a great impact in developing countries where internet access is not always widely available.
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