It’s happened…….England has taken a leaf out of America’s book and embraced free city wide Wi-Fi internet access. However, as a country we are not unfamiliar with the prospect of free internet access. Many companies and organizations across the UK are now offering free internet access while customers use their services. However, this is the first instance in the UK where wireless internet access has been made available to the public.
But what does this mean to you and me? How will this change my life?
Well, for those living out in the sticks…….not a lot, for the moment! But for those living in Cities across the UK this pioneering project poses some very interesting opportunities!
If you are like myself, living in a City in your own or rented accommodation, you will be all too aware of the process of maintaining a house. There are bills for council tax, water services, gas services, electricity services, telephone line, telephone services, broadband internet services, TV license, TV services. But if you are crafty, you may have some of these bundle together – TV, phone and broadband. Electricity and Gas etc.
Now imagine with me, if you will, a world where there were no bills for line rental, phone services, internet services, TV services. All these were included in the council tax as the council provided city wide free. Not only that, but your monthly mobile phone bill was covered by it too. How would this be possible I may hear you say? Well, internet technology in its current form means you phone people over the internet rather than telephone lines. As long as that person has an active broadband connection they can receive calls at any time much like our current land line telephones. If the City you were living in had free Wi-Fi coverage that would mean everyone was accessible, as long as they had the right equipment. Moreover, you would be able to roam with your Wi-Fi mobile and be able to receive calls at anytime. Further ahead in the future, the world will be Wi-Fi and there will no longer be outrageous roaming fees!
Now, as I come back down to earth, I realise we are a long way off this dream and the implementations of it are monstrous to say the least. However, telecoms and broadband companies must be biting their nails and struggling hard to come up with some good ideas about how to keep their companies going for the next 10-20 years!
It is exciting that free Wi-Fi access is becoming available City wide! But with that, I’m sure, will be a whole host of difficulties and frustrations, people will be left behind etc. But as our world changes and the way in which we run and live our lives changes, technology will play a big part, and surely one of the most significant changes will be the integration of free City-wide Wi-Fi access!