Swindon (UK) is getting a municipal Wi-Fi network, thanks to a joint venture with a local firm. News reports say that the network will cost £1 million and require 1400 access points, but details are sketchy and there is skepticism about the ability of Swindon and the service provider to pull this off.

Despite that, The Economist felt compelled to weigh in with its own opinion about muni wireless:

Unlike many of the American municipal Wi-Fi schemes, which aim to bring the internet to the unwired poor, this one is explicitly commercial. The project is a joint venture called Digital City UK, split between the council, Rikki Hunt, a local businessman, and aQovia, a technology firm. Free access will be restricted to a few hours a day. Those wanting more can pay for an unlimited service that will be faster than that offered by mobile-phone companies. Mr Hunt reckons that bits of local government, such as the police force and the local NHS, will want to use the network, giving it a ready-made customer base.

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