Wi-Fi mesh allows Thames riverbank visitors to surf the web

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Anyone strolling along the Thames riverbank or sailing down the river can now surf the web or check their e-mails as they do so thanks to the installation of a Wi-Fi mesh network covering an area spanning more than 12 miles.

The new service, dubbed Thames Online, is available to anyone with a wirelessly-enabled device in the area, from commuters on river buses to people having coffee in one of the many cafes between Greenwich and Millbank.

Users can log on to the service as a pay-as-you-go-customer for £2.95 for one hour or £5.95 for a day or by paying a monthly subscription charge of £9.95.

Global Reach, which is the service provider behind the offering, worked with Proxim Wireless to get the mesh and associated access points up and running.

"Providing fast, convenient, and easy-to-use broadband access to boat traffic and the Thames river community is the core of our business," said Nigel Wesley, chief executive of Global Reach.

"To ensure that we deliver on that promise, we chose Proxim Wireless as our partner. Proxim's outdoor mesh products enable us to provide our customers with highly reliable internet access at an affordable price. We look forward to a continued long relationship with Proxim as we work to deploy a wireless network that will serve the entire population in the heart of the capital."

The initial hotspot coverage is just the start of things to come, according to Global Reach.

It also plans to expand the service to cover a wider area as well as offering video surveillance to aid public safety.

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