We are excited to bring a new project to Soho Road BID area in Birmingham.  Soho Road BID Area is the largest independently owned high street in the UK.

The area is designated as an area of deprivation within Birmingham, where some families still have no internet connection.  We are changing that with the help of Soho Road Business Improvement District.  

Soho Road BID contacted us through a local business Kanda Jewellery, and said they had a vision for FREE internet on the Soho Road.  We asked what they had in mind, and we knew we could deliver.

National ICT specialise in wireless commercial networks that allow the owner to promote two levels of network.  A private layer for internal use and a commercial front to allow passers-by to connect to the internet. 

Having a dual layer network allows, in this instance, Soho Road BID and local services to have information and communications access in their area.  This could be used in the future for CCTV, IP telephony and the development of apps to help with keeping the area safe.

Soho Road BID have already informed us that there is indeed an app being launched in November to help businesses with crime prevention in that area, and we are very excited to be part of enabling connectivity, so everyone can use it.

Secondly it allows local people and shoppers to have free internet usage while in the town centre.  Connecting people is very important in today’s world, research over many years has found that where the internet is available and free, the standards of education of the local population has increased. 

This is due to open and accessible learning and research facilities. Online courses have been proven to help people gain more qualifications, and therefore make them more employable, making lives better with higher household income.

We offer on our landing pages the ability for users to find help and activities in the local area.  We supply spaces for the Local Authority, NHS and Police Services to showcase information relevant to the local population. 

We have advertising and sponsorship packages available. Please mention if you are a Soho Road BID Levy Payer when inquiring about packages as we have secured a preferential deal for local businesses supporting the scheme. If you are interested in advertising your business on the network landing page, please feel free to contact us at [email protected] 

If you are a business and looking to open a shop in Birmingham, why not give Soho Road a look.  This is an extremely busy high street with an excess of 20,000 vehicles a day passing through! Need more information, please contact Soho Road BID and they can support you through the process. Email [email protected] or to check out what’s going on Facebook Soho Road BID.