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Local Government

Chinese city goes wireless

By Captain Wang | 1 December 2009

The city of Weifang has been chosen as a pilot site for a project to wirelessly connect citizens and government staff in China’s Shandong Province.

If successful, the project to create a “wireless city” will be rolled out throughout Shandong, a coastal province in eastern China with a population of 94 million.

High speed broadband technology will be used to give citizens anytime, anywhere access to government e-services, and enable local government departments, emergency services and NGOs to use the network throughout the province.

The project will begin this year, with province-wide roll-out expected over the next three years.

“The ‘wireless city project will enable residents to use the internet while they are on public transport. They’ll be able to listen to music, watch films or browse government information wherever they are, even on the move,” said Hu Yannian, Section Chief, Network Management Division, information Industry Bureau of Weifang City.

However, Hu said that the government had not yet figured out how much to charge citizens to use the service. “We’re talking to citizens at a local level to work out the best remuneration model,” he said.

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