Users of the service, known as , will likely be restricted as to the amount of time they can have free access and will have to register for the service. They can also upgrade to a faster download speed of 20MB for a cost that Swindon Borough Council said would be lower than rival broadband services. Pricing and the limit on free use is yet to be determined Rod Bluh, Swindon Borough 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."
The council is running the project through Digital City UK Ltd, a company in which it has a 35 per cent share. It goes live starting in Highworth in December, with the rest of the city due to be online by April. It will be available to the 186,000 residents of Swindon as well as to visitors who register.
The council said that it could follow the wifi access with a scheme to provide recycled computers to households that are without.
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