UK's Fastest WiFi In Sunderland

Sunderland now offers the ‘fastest WiFi speeds in the county’.

08:23 01 February 2020

Wearside’s superfast broadband network is now fully operational, offering both residents and visitors with the ‘fastest WiFi speeds in the county.’

 

Speaking at a meeting of the North East Combined Authority’s Economic Development and Digital Advisory Board, Patrick Melia, chief executive of Sunderland City Council, said: “We’re the first city in the UK to build an operational 5G WiFi network,”

 

“McDonalds, in High Street West, although not great from a public health perspective, is one of the fastest in the UK for download speeds.

 

“If you walk along High Street West and log on to the WiFi network you get the fastest speeds in the country, and we’re now working on how we showcase that and bring it to life.”

 

The fast broadband speed allows users to download a full HD movie in under a minute. Council chiefs said that they will take advantage of the scheme to improve internet access in some of Sunderland’s schools and help Gentoo start rolling out ‘smart home’ technology to some of its properties.

 

“I have no doubt our digital credentials need to be better,” said Coun Graeme Miller, the leader of Sunderland City Council.

 

“Government didn’t think it was possible for us to get this done so quickly, just with the application of a bit of common sense.

 

“Possibly the nature of our city centre allowed it to happen because of the tower blocks, but this is definitely something which must be an integral part of our business going forward.”