A DEAL has been struck that could see wireless Internet services in offices, restaurants, hotels and on public transport across Europe.

Nomad Digital has joined forces with Evesham Technology to enable WiFi hot-spot kits to be marketed and installed.

The companies estimate the market could generate revenues of about £2.4bn by 2006.

The WiFi kit allows a business to receive a wireless signal in its building, giving customers Internet connection via laptops without cables or adaptors.

Nomad Digital, in Newcastle, was the first company to bring the hot-spot kits to the UK.

Evesham, a Worcestershire company with an annual turnover of more than £100m, aims to sell and install the kits anywhere business people or laptop users are likely to want Internet access.

The hot-spot kits are enabled with Nomad Digital's access control, authentication and accounting system

Graeme Lowdon, Nomad founder and chief executive, said: "This deal is incredibly important. The market for WiFi hotspots in the UK is forecast to grow rapidly, but it is important to approach this market with a strong technical support infrastructure for hot-spot owners.

"What sets this deal apart is that Evesham has such an infrastructure which will be used to both install and maintain the WiFi hot-spot kits.

"We were the first company in the UK to sell a WiFi hot-spot kit and have had kits running now for over six months.

"We have sold commercial kits into venues in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Stirling, Newcastle and London, and have been able to demonstrate a reliable commercial service using various authentication methods."

He said: "Hot-spot owners don't have to invest in any back-office infrastructure and, as well as providing a useful service to their customers, they earn revenue every time a customer connects, using methods that can include pre-paid scratch cards, roaming accounts and even via their mobile phones."

Nomad was formed early last year by Graeme Lowdon and Nigel Wallbridge with the aim of providing wireless connectivity services.