Letter from Des Morgan (From Swindon Advertiser)

Letter from Des Morgan

9:09am Friday 12th March 2010 in

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HAVING read the article from Rikki Hunt (SA March 10) one could be forgiven for thinking he had discovered the Holy Grail and not simply purloined a mature technology and offered it alongside a business plan. In attempting to present the Swindon Wi Fi project alongside really important, innovative and revolutionary projects such as the GWR Hospital, the railways etc Rikki is really engaging in overstating his case into the realms of hyperbole.

The single most uncomfortable truth which the politicians seem unable to face is that Wi Fi is not new. Wi Fi is a tried and tested technology which is being used in almost every major town and city in Great Britain. In fact not only is Wi Fi not new it is in technological terms quite dated being superseded by a number of other more robust applications. In addition BT has now achieved its target of installing one million BT Openzone Wi Fi access points in the UK of which over 100,000 are in the South West. Many mobile phone or laptop users are currently using this proven and well managed network and almost all the brand name suppliers have signed up with BT to promote the Openzone facility.

However, it is clear that what Digital City is offering is something which while sold under the banner of Wi Fi is actually a Broadband service. Wi Fi is simply the vehicle enabling authorised users to access a Broadband connection. In terms of costs, I think anyone can look on comparison websites and see that Digital City's £9.99 for a very basic package is nothing special and compares with the top five offers currently available in the UK.

The provision of a free service is an interesting concept as it demands an answer to a simple question - in what respect is it free? The cost of providing any service has to be met by someone and if the user isn't paying for the service then it must be the non user who is paying for it or perhaps it's all of us who are paying for it, but of this you can be absolutely sure, it is not free. In days and months to come, can you imagine the furore if Digital City doesn't make its profit targets, that is the original target of £700,000 profit within two years, and the whole project goes the way of the Norwich Wi Fi programme. A lot of the free users will be disenfranchised with no prospect of any commercial organisation picking up the pieces.

Social inclusivity is a wonderful cliché - with regard to Wi Fi it is meant to suggest that those who don't have it must be positively encouraged and enabled to put it their homes. On the basis that some have it, anyone who doesn't is in need and the local authority has set its sights on ensuring that no one should be deprived of the ability to access the Internet. The only problem with such a philosophy is where do you go from here? There are many people in Swindon who don't have Sky TV - I am sure everyone would like to receive Sky TV free and without cost. I am not aware of any plans for SBC to roll out a programme whereby all of Swindon households will receive complimentary Sky TV. May I suggest you ask your local councillor why Broadband is considered an essential but Sky TV isn't?

DES MORGAN

Caraway Drive

Swindon