A Wi-Fi ‘mesh’ providing all residents of the town of Swindon in Wiltshire with free wireless internet access could “change the way the public sector does business”, the leader of Swindon Borough Council has told E-Government Bulletin.
A public/private commercial venture by the council, digital technology firm aQovia and local entrepreneur Rikki Hunt, the mesh comprises 1,400 access points which will give residents, businesses and visitors up to two hours in total of free 20Mb internet access a day. A subscriber service and pay-as-you-go option will be available for those who want unlimited access.
Swindon council leader Rod Bluh said the project would lay the groundwork for some exciting potential new ‘wired up’ public services that could be offered by the council and partner bodies in future. “The really exciting part of the project is the applications we can roll off the back of it: business security at a very low cost, energy monitoring services, even medical services. I think this has got the capacity to change the way the public sector does business, and parts of the private sector.”
The project partners have formed a new company to deliver the mesh, Digital City, in which the council owns a 35% stake. The project will provide a funding stream for the council, which will also look to franchise the technology out to other local authorities – 12 councils have already expressed an interest.
Wi-Fi access will begin for the Highworth area of Swindon in mid-December, with other areas of the borough becoming connected in March/April of next year.
NOTE: Article originally published in E-Government Bulletin issue 301.
Click here to visit/return to issue 301 index
