SWINDON’S wi-fi revolution will bring science fiction style technology into people’s homes.

In a Swindon of the near future every house could be monitored by CCTV cameras connected to the police station and electrical appliances could be switched on or off by mobile phone.

These are some of the initiatives being considered as part of Swindon’s wi-fi project, which is being offered by Swindon Council and private backers through newly formed company Digital City UK, under the banner Signal.

The scheme, unveiled last week, will be launched in Highworth on Monday, December 7, before being implemented across Swindon by April.

As well as free internet for any Swindon resident who signs up for the scheme there will be a number of other benefits, according to Rikki Hunt, who masterminded the scheme.

He said: “We have a whole suite of products that we can deliver to people. It’s like the iPhone – first you develop the phone, or in this case the wi-fi mesh, then you create applications, which are what make the whole thing sustainable.

“With this technology we could set up cameras in your house that you could monitor from your phone. You could also have that camera monitored for you by Swindon Commercial Services when you’re on holiday. As soon as something happened that could immediately be reported to the police.

“It’s a cost effective solution to home security.”

Mr Hunt said the technology would also allow temporary CCTV cameras to be set up in crime hotspots.

Paul Howlett, chief superintendent of Swindon Police, backed the scheme.

He said: “Technology is there to use to our advantage. The development of this project keeps Swindon at the forefront and is a really exciting advance.

“Who knows what opportunities there might be in terms of reducing crime? I will be watching how this develops with interest.”

The CCTV application is not the only innovation being planned.

Mr Hunt said: “We have a product that will monitor how much energy your household is using.

“We will start with just electric but move on to monitor gas and water.

“I hope we will also be able to give people the chance to switch things off via their mobile phone. If you think you’ve left the kitchen light on, you could check using your phone and switch it off. I think that’s something everyone can identify with.”

Mr Hunt said the technology to deliver both CCTV and energy monitoring products should be available as soon as the project is introduced.

The company will also offer anti- virus software and Microsoft packages to businesses.

All the way from Swindon to China
WORD of the wi-fi project has spread across the country and even as far as China.

The Chinese authorities contacted Digital City UK Ltd, the company behind the scheme, to express their interest.

The company has also had calls from councils across the UK and other interested parties.

Rikki Hunt, who came up with the concept, said: “The response has been fantastic.

“There has been interest from all over the world in what we are doing and it’s great for Swindon to have this sort of coverage.

“It’s not news to me that Swindon is the home of innovation and I’m glad that everyone is getting the chance to see that – even as far as China.

“The coverage we’ve got from the media has been amazing and I’m sure it will increase Swindon’s appeal to businesses.”

Mr Hunt and council leader Rod Bluh were due to be interviewed on Chinese television yesterday to discuss the initiative.

As of yesterday almost 700 people had signed up to take advantage of the free internet deal on the Signal website.

He said: “It has exceeded what we were expecting and we are very pleased with that number.”

Emma Faramarzi, pictured, chairwoman of the Swindon Federation of Small Businesses, said: “This is going to be very positive for Swindon. It’s great to have all this attention on the town and I’m sure it will raise our profile.

“It will help small businesses because the cost of setting up can really mount up and anything we can get for free is great.

“But I am concerned about the effect this could have on small IT companies in the town, especially if the council are going to start offering IT support.”

Mrs Faramarzi said she would be reserving her final judgement until the scheme had been fully implemented.

She said: “I’m sure there will be problems along the way given the size of the project and it will be interesting to see if they can deliver everything they promise.”