Glasgow residents are set to benefit from free ultrafast WiFi as the city becomes Scotland’s first to join the InLinkUK service.

The WiFi service, which has over 100,000 subscribers, offers some of the fastest free public WiFi in the UK. It is now being installed in the city centre and can deliver speeds of up to 1Gbps. Other services being offered as part of this installation include free phone calls to UK landlines and mobiles, charging points for mobile phones and access to the BT Phone Book.

InLinkUK

InLinkUK is a new communications network that will replace over 1,000 pay phones in major towns and cities across the UK with new units called “InLinks”.

Each InLink offers ultrafast public WiFi services dotted across any given city centre. The initiative by BT is being brought to the UK through a joint-venture between out-of-home media company, Primesight and Intersection, the urban innovation company responsible for LinkNYC.

The UK rollout has seen nearly 150 InLinks installed across a number of London boroughs and Leeds city centre, with hundreds more to be installed across the country.

Glasgow Milestone

Matt Bird, General Manager for InLinkUK, says this marks a significant moment in the national InLink rollout, with Scotland becoming the second nation in the UK to adopt the service.

He said: “Glasgow marks an important milestone in the national InLink rollout. With the introduction of the InLinks in the city, Scotland becomes the second nation in the UK to welcome this digital evolution.

“We are making great progress in our journey of creating smart communities, and with the InLinks offering free ultrafast WiFi and a host of other free digital services, we are well on our way to achieving this in key UK cities.”

Glasgow Connected

Scotland’s first InLink service has already gone live on Buchanan Street, one of the UK’s largest retail centres outside of London. With such a vibrant and bustling city centre, home to hundreds of retailers, restaurants and bars, the InLink service could prove a valuable addition for Glasgow residents.

Neil Scoresby, BT’s General Manager for Payphones and InLinkUK, said: “Today’s launch in Glasgow brings the fastest free public wi-fi in the UK to Scotland. Residents and visitors alike are set to benefit from this new state-of-the-art ‘phone box’, where they can also make calls for free, access local information and even charge their phone when out and about.”

Serving the Community

Aside from WiFi services, the InLinks will offer additional digital services to Glasgow residents, including accessibility tools for those with visual impairments through TalkBack.

Other features include its free one-touch lifelines to four national charities. Free calls can me made through the tablet to Childline, End Youth Homelessness, Runaway Helpline and Samaritans.

InLinks will also run real-time information, including weather forecasts and other local information for Glasgow locals, with all these services being provided to the community at no public cost.
Annie Wells, MSP for Glasgow, unveiled the first Glasgow InLink and said:

“It’s fantastic that Glasgow is the first Scottish city to be chosen by InLinkUK and BT as the home for this exciting state-of-the-art digital technology.

“Glasgow has such a vibrant city centre and from my days working in Argyle Street to days spent shopping and eating in its many great restaurants, it has always retained its true character. Allowing people to access information and support helplines free of charge will add much to a city already bursting with creativity and entrepreneurial spark.”