Smart Wi-Fi pavement being tested in the U.K. for ultra-fast Internet

Imagine having access to Wi-Fi right as you’re walking down the street. For 21,000 residents in Chesam in the U.K., this is a reality.

The Chiltern District Council and Virgin Media have teamed up to coat the streets of Chesham with superfast WiFi. The unlimited WiFi service is available  to residents, businesses and visitors passing through the center of Chesham. The service even covers parts of Lowndes Park, a 36-acre park space.

The new network can provide speeds of up to 166Mbps (seven times the average UK broadband speed) and connectivity will  delivered directly from Virgin Media’s street cabinets and the UK’s first-ever Smart Pavement.

Users can connect by selecting “Virgin Media Wi-Fi”  in the Wi-Fi settings of their mobile device. Virgin Media mobile customers with an Android device will be able access it seamlessly through the Virgin Media WiFi Buddy app.

“I am delighted that we’ve been able to bring a UK first to Chesham with Virgin Media’s ultrafast WiFi, helping local people and businesses get online. Efficient connectivity is pivotal to running businesses today and I am proud we are part of a project which is crossing new boundaries,” said Cllr Fred Wilson, Chiltern District Council’s Cabinet member for Customer Services and Chesham Town Councillor.

Virgin Media decided to work with Chiltern District Council and Chesham in particular because the local authority is innovative and actively engaged with the local people in trying to find ways to enhance the area.

Virgin Media is building better digital infrastructure by re-drawing the U.K. Wi-Fi map. This is the first in a series of initiatives to deliver better out-of-home connectivity.

Virgin Media has offered some “fun facts” about its outdoor Wi-Fi service in Chesham:

• Residents are already reporting impressive wireless speeds as fast as 166Mbps in the town centre.
• Local people can download an episode of Coronation Street, Strictly Come Dancing or Gogglebox at the Bus Stop with a download speed of less than 35 seconds assuming a file size of 634Mb
• The new pilot offers street wide coverage using variety of discreet street furniture such as the UK’s first Smart Pavement, which connects directly to Virgin Media’s fibre network and provides ultrafast WiFi via a submerged access point beneath a specially developed resin cover.
• Rainproof access points use a mixture of the latest tech including fibre optic cabling and superior DOCSIS 3 technology.
• This ultrafast WiFi is possible even at distances of up to 80m from Virgin Media’s high street cabinets.
• Out-of-home WiFi can save users money on their mobile phone bills by reducing the amount of mobile data they us when out and about in town.
• Chesham has a population of over 21,000 with many residential areas, businesses, industrial centres and a pedestrianised High Street featuring numerous specialist individual shops, alongside national retailers.

For more information visit Virgin Media.