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Nottingham may become first 4G city in Britain
Super-fast 4G mobile services could be rolled out in Nottingham if the city wins government funding.
The local authority has applied for a chunk of the government's Urban Broadband Fund, which is designed to transform up to ten of the UK's largest municipalities into super-connected cities, complete with ultra-fast fibre optic broadband and high-speed wireless internet access.
If Nottingham City Council (NCC) is successful with its bid, it could pave the way for the area to become the first in Britain to offer residents and businesses access to 4G services.
A "detailed submission" explaining the local authority's strategy to improve its broadband connectivity was submitted to the Conservative-led coalition on Monday (February 13th 2012). Council chiefs must now wait until Chancellor George Osborne's upcoming Budget speech to find out if their bid has been approved.
"The impact of next-generation digital infrastructure in Nottingham should not be underestimated. A successful bid could lead to economic and social transformation on a significant scale," NCC explained.
"Businesses will benefit from increased efficiency and improved connectivity. Nottingham will be in a much stronger position to respond to the rapidly emerging and anticipated future requirement of businesses."
The key digital content, life sciences and low-carbon sectors will particularly benefit if ultra-fast broadband becomes available in Nottingham, the council added.
If it is to secure the government funding, Nottingham will need to see off competition from Birmingham, Bradford, Bristol, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, Newcastle, Manchester and Sheffield. The UK's four capitals - Belfast, Cardiff, Edinburgh and London - are guaranteed to be awarded state aid as part of the initiative.
Only cities with more than 150,000 dwellings were allowed to apply for the Urban Broadband Fund, sparking frustration from locations such as Brighton and Hove, which missed out despite being close to the minimum threshold with 125,000 households.