Swindon’s wi-fi service switched on

19 Feb 2010 | Filed under: Technology

The first phase of Swindon’s free public wireless internet has been switched on in the north of the town.

Swindon Borough Council plans for all 186,000 citizens to have blanket “wi-fi mesh” coverage by April 2010, says BBC News Online.

The equipment, mounted on 21 lampposts in the Highworth area, will allow people to connect to the internet via laptops or portable devices.
Wireless internet allows computer users to access the internet without the need for wired connection to phone lines

Under the scheme basic line rental will be free and there will be no connection charge, say council officials.
The £1m project will be run by Digital City UK Ltd, in which Swindon Borough Council has a 35% share.
Digital City chief executive Rikki Hunt said: ” People have done free wi-fi before, it happened in Norwich in 2006 as a test period. What we’re doing is covering the whole borough, that’s what unique, so it’s not just free access in your home, you can actually move around the borough and still be connected.”
Some 1,400 secure access points are to be fitted around Swindon, similar to those used in homes but with a much higher performance, it is claimed.
If successful, there is an intention of working on similar roll-outs of the technology in other towns and cities across the UK.
The service will also have the potential to provide free internet phone-calls and remote medical consultations.
Other UK cities have had trials of the schemes, but this is the first time an entire town area will be covered by council-backed public wi-fi.