Free Internet Service on Wi-Fi – Providing you live in Swindon…

Swindon council is setting itself up to deliver free wireless internet across the vast majority of the borough. The service, called Digital City UK – or Signal – is being created in partnership with Rikki Hunt and tech firm aQovia.

If you happen to live in Swindon though – don’t get too excited. The free service will only low very limited browsing and email facilities, so you shouldn’t expect to start being able to stream HD content or download your entire music collection from iTunes free of charge. There are plans to be able to upgrade to 20 Mbps for an as yet unspecified charge.

Leader of Swindon Borough Council, Rod Bluh said:

“This is a truly groundbreaking partnership which will have real benefits for everyone living in Swindon. Not only will residents in the Borough be able to access the internet for free, the Council and its partners will be able to use the technology to provide cutting edge services to the areas or individuals who need them.”

Visitors to the town can also use the system as a one huge pay as you go network similar to the much smaller hotspots available from companies like BT and O2.

The rollout for the service which is going to cost around £1 million will start in December and the entire 186,000 or so citizens should find themselves in range of the service by April 2010. Signal will even be supplying receivers that can be installed in your home in order to boost the signal.

This is a great idea and although privately owned ISPs might not like the new competition – especially those offering Wi-Fi hotspots already, or ones that offer budget packages for light net users – it’s a great opportunity for the borough and one that’s bound to make the rest of the country pretty jealous.

We just hope it works!

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