Residents at the Canary Wharf estate in London will be the first in Europe to enjoy uninterrupted Wi-Fi coverage both at home and out and about after the area's OpenRoaming deployment was completed.
The move should benefit inhabitants of the 3,000 new homes, as well as the 20,000 businesses, entrepreneurs, independent retailers, workspaces and local school inhabitants based in the new Wood Wharf development.
With the new technology, residents will be able to carry Wi-Fi 6 connections with them across the whole Canary Wharf estate, whether in at home, out shopping, in the office and even the Tube station.
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OpenRoaming launch
The deployment has been built by Virgin Media and Cisco, and is the first European commercial deployment of OpenRoaming since the initiative was officially declared open by the WBA last month.
OpenRoaming means that connected devices are able to roam seamlessly from one hotspot to another without the need for the user to log in. The Canary Wharf network itself is powered by Cisco Meraki Wi-Fi 6 access points, along with location-based analytics that can allow clients to build unique services for their customers.
“In today’s environment connectivity is akin to a critical utility. Our commercial, retail and residential customers are demanding access to world-class digital infrastructure and next-generation connectivity,” said Shobi Khan, Chief Executive, Canary Wharf Group.
“Canary Wharf Group is committed to creating an estate-wide environment in which businesses can thrive. The rollout of Wi-Fi 6 and OpenRoaming is a vital part of our continuously evolving user experience for residents and visitors. We’re delighted to work with Cisco and Virgin Media to deliver this.”
The launch also comes soon after Virgin Media expanded its gigabit capable network in Canary Wharf, connecting more than 1,000 homes in the past year as part of a wider plan to connect more than 4,000 homes in the area and provide connectivity to public spaces.
“As businesses now accelerate to a digitized and automated future, OpenRoaming and Wi-Fi 6 will play a critical role in that journey. In the next normal, strengthened digital infrastructure and robust cybersecurity are fundamental to recovery and growth. They provide the foundations for businesses to benefit in the digital economy,” added David Meads, Chief Executive, Cisco UK and Ireland.
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