VNUnet's Matt Chapman reports today that the Municipality of Bologna, Italy has launched a free Wi-Fi service covering the town itself as well as the University of Bologna. The network is designed to support both fixed and mobile Internet access as well as VoIP, and is upgradeable to WiMAX.

Patrick Scarlata, President of HI-TEL Italia, says it's an extremely appropriate place to deploy a wireless network. "Bologna is home to Europe's first university and is also the place where Marconi invented the radio, so it is fitting that it should now be home to the most advanced high-speed wireless network in Europe," he says.

The network was set up by HI-TEL and local ISP Acantho, with support from Laboratori G. Marconi.