SUPERFAST internet access is on the horizon for Swindon at last.

The Adver can exclusively reveal that more than £1m is poised to be spent in bringing the technology to the town, following the failed council-backed WiFi internet project.

The £400,000 which the council invested into that is guaranteed to be recouped under the new agreement.

The council will also receive a share of the profits from the multinational company which is stepping in to run the new wireless internet system, although for “commercial reasons” its identity is still a secret.

Council leader Rod Bluh (Con, Dorcan) claims the deal vindicates his decision to get involved in the WiFi project.

He said: “I can’t tell you how relieved I am to get to this stage. I know it’s far from over, but I’m glad to be getting this far. I’ve taken a lot of heat over this.”

But unlike the plan put forward by Digital City, the wireless internet access will not be free for residents.

Coun Bluh said the idea was still, ultimately, to have free access, but that was not part of the initial agreement.

The Tory cabinet is expected to grant permission to enter the final phase of negotiations next Thursday, bringing the whole deal to fruition by October 21.

It has promised for months that an investor was just around the corner, ready to rescue its own doomed internet venture with Digital City, which failed to offer any wireless access beyond Highworth, before collapsing.

Despite enjoying a share of the profits under the new deal, the council will not spend any money, having simply laid the foundations for the new project.

Coun Bluh said: “If it wasn’t for the initiative the council showed in the Highworth pilot, they would not have got involved in Swindon.

“We all regret that Digital City didn’t work out the way we wanted it to.

“But this proves the project was right for Swindon, because otherwise such a leading player would not be interested in it.

“I never, personally, lost faith in this. I always believed it was the right thing. And sometimes you have to have the courage to keep going.”

The £400,000 will come back to the council within five years, with interest and profits on top of that.

The scheme will utilise 4G (Fourth Generation) LTE (Long Term Evolution) technology.