Swindon goes Wi-Fi

14:35 17th December 2009

Free wireless internet services have been switched on in the north of Swindon as the town begins its move to becoming Britain's first Wi-Fi-enabled town.

The area has been at the centre of a major pilot scheme designed to provide free wireless internet services to all its businesses and residents, in a move that could help boost the availability of IT careers in the region.

While the entire town is not due to be covered by the scheme until April next year, the first phase of the project has been completed and the northern part of Swindon has now been turned on to free Wi-Fi services.

Currently, 21 lampposts have been fitted with access points for the Wi-Fi signal to be transmitted, but by April it is hoped there will be around 1,400 access points situated throughout the town, on lampposts and public buildings to provide seamless internet access anywhere in Swindon.

A similar scheme that could eventually boost IT careers in the north-west is currently being touted by three MPs.

The politicians are calling on the government to invest in a project to make Lancashire Britain's first 'Wi-Fi county', the Blackburn Citizen reports.

Written by Paul Jarvis

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