Virgin wins contract to provide free Wi-Fi

Virgin Media Business has won the UK’s first contract to provide citywide wireless outside London under the British government’s plans to create a series of “super connected” urban hubs.

Virgin Media will offer free mobile internet access to 1.2 million people in the city centers of Bradford and Leeds using small cell transmitters to enable a large scale public Wi-Fi network. The high speed Wi-Fi service will be open to the public, although operated by the group’s corporate business arm. The deal is the latest in what analysts have called a “land grab” for Wi-Fi sites given the desire by telecoms groups to tap into Wi-Fi networks, as they do not need to use scarce mobile spectrum.