Swindon To Get UK’s First Free Wi-Fi Mesh Network

One of the problems with Wi-Fi is that it doesn’t have that great a range – yes its easily enough for your house, and maybe for your cheapskate neighbour as well but there is only really two ways to link up a large area using wireless networking: WiMax or loads of Wi-Fi access points, and it may not surprise you to know that here in Britain we’ve generally opted for the brute force option when it comes to this problem.

This example is one that is set to continue, but it is not that which is interesting in this example. No, it’s that Britain is set to have its first “Wi-Fi town”, and for a reason not yet disclosed it will be the 160,000 strong town of Swindon.

Called the ‘Swindon Mesh’ the network with 1,400 access points will provide all residents with a free internet signal which aims to open the doors to the internet for people who haven’t previously thought about using the internet, or haven’t been able to afford it.
The company behind all of this is the aptly named ‘Digital City UK’ which is partially funded by the local council, and it is them that will be paying the £1 million that is needed to set it all up which probably explains why something like this hasn’t been trailed before.

“Brilliant” I hear you (in Swindon) cry, “Free Wi-Fi!” Unfortunately there is a catch, but it’s one that is perfectly understandable given the numbers that will be using the network – and that is that certain websites that demand high speed access such as video streaming (iPlayer jumps to mind) will be barred and you won’t be able to access them via the network.

Now this is pretty understandable (can you imaging 160,000 people attempting to simultaneously watch the last episode of Top Gear?) but a bit of a blow if you were planning on throwing your router away and relying totally on the mesh. However there is a solution: for an extra charge you will be able to sign up for 20Mbps upgrades, and it will be under the price that other competitors can offer.

The aim is that this setup will suit everybody: people who just wasn’t ‘light’ usage can get it for free whilst those a little more hungry for Bandwidth can pay less than they would normally, and it is that second option that Digital City UK are hoping to recoup some of the original expenditure back on – and hopefully eventually make a profit!

Rod Bluh a Council Leader 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.”

“Digital City will also provide the Council with a unique funding stream and it is our intention to use our expertise to help other local authorities follow our lead. This is the future of England we are talking about.”

The plan is for work to start at the end of this year and to hopefully be up and running by April 2010 for both residents and visitors (who will have to pay on a PAYG basis) alike – and if it’s a success who knows, we could be seeing it in more towns and cities across the country before long! Let’s hope so! Would you like to see this kind of widespread wi-fi internet access in your local town or city so that you don’t have to rely on getting free Wi-Fi in Starbucks and other local establishments?

Via – TechRadar & Gadget Venue

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