Swimbridge WiFi

The idea of the Swimbridge WiFi project is to provide fast, reliable internet access to the residents of Swimbridge, Devon at competitive rates.

How will it work?

Like many similar projects (the RHBMesh for example), there will be one or two Internet Gateways and a handful of Mesh Nodes as required to extend the signal to where it needs to be. One of the Gateways will be on Station Hill, other nodes are as yet unplanned.

The Internet Gateways will consist of a modem and a mesh router box connected to an aerial on the roof of the building. These will use one or more Premium-grade (Business) ADSL lines, which provide a faster and more reliable service compared to standard domestic ADSL.

Who is it for?

The current plan is to have two sets of tariffs: one for residents which will be a set of monthly plans dependent on usage and/or speed, and one for visitors to the area which will depend on the amount of time during which access is required.

How will it be run?

Following by example, we will be run as a Social Enterprise; a company limited by guarantee. Being a cooperative all full-time users will become members with voting rights, though we will also need a Director and Treasurer. There will be regular meetings with everyone in attendence making up a board of sorts. We expect that a set of volunteers will help with administration, surveying and installation of equipment. Unlike most companies our aim will not be to make money but instead to provide as good a service as possible, so any excess funds gathered over the year (should we ever have any!) will be ploughed back into improving the service and covering a larger area.