Manchester Host
The Manchester Host was an early example of a municipal networking project. Its aim was to foster social and economic development in Manchester (United Kingdom) by encouraging the use of on-line communications and information services by businesses, public sector and voluntary organisations.
The project was launched in 1991 by a partnership of Manchester City Council, the Manchester Metropolitan University, and Poptel. At its core was an X.25-based email and database gateway system supplied by GeoNet.
The project involved a number of parallel activities including the establishment of "Electronic Village Halls": drop-in centres where users could learn about the new online communications and information ("telematics") technology; and the creation of the Manchester Community Information Network.