Newcastle and Purple Build OpenRoaming Network, Boosting Digital Inclusion
Event summary
- Newcastle City Council and Purple deployed OpenRoaming across 300+ city locations, serving 300,000 residents and 1.7M in the region.
- The network recorded 786,817 logins as of May 2026, with 92% via OpenRoaming or Purple SecurePass and a 95% repeat visitor retention rate.
- Purple is now piloting OpenRoaming with Tyne and Wear Metro to extend seamless authentication into regional transport networks.
- Newcastle treated connectivity as public infrastructure, closing the digital divide for residents without reliable home internet.
The big picture
Newcastle’s OpenRoaming deployment aligns with the broader trend of cities treating digital connectivity as essential infrastructure. The success of this model could accelerate similar initiatives globally, particularly as urban mobility and public services increasingly rely on seamless, secure WiFi access. Purple’s role as a connectivity platform provider positions it at the forefront of this shift, with potential to scale its OpenRoaming solutions across more municipalities.
What we're watching
- Network Expansion
- Whether Purple can sustain the pace of OpenRoaming deployments beyond Newcastle into other UK cities.
- Digital Inclusion
- How the model of treating WiFi as public infrastructure will influence other municipalities.
- Transport Integration
- The success of the Tyne and Wear Metro pilot in creating a fully connected urban mobility experience.
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