The Government will co-fund several trial projects to deliver high speed wireless internet services at universities, hotels and town centres across the Republic.

The trials will use wireless LAN technology, an innovative radio technology that can deliver short range connection to the internet at extremely high speeds. The Minister for Communications, Mr Ahern, said yesterday the Government had selected five firms to undertake the trials: O2, Esat BT, Rococo, Amocom and Digiweb.

It will provide grants worth €260,510 for the trial projects, which will take place in Dublin, Cork, Mayo, Sligo, Galway, Limerick and Louth. The projects will try to demonstrate the feasibility of wireless LAN broadband - already being widely used abroad to provide "broadband hotspots".

British Telecommunications recently announced a major project to roll out wireless LAN hotspots at train stations and other public areas in the UK. And many bigger Irish firms are already testing out the technology.