The cloud is to face competition from a new public Wi-Fi network

Internet users throughout the UK may soon be able to surf the internet remotely without the need to pay for it following the announcement of the completion of a new and free Wi-Fi network that is available to the public.

It has recently been announced that a new public Wi-Fi network is now available for internet users throughout the country and that access to it will be free. A requirement to purchase something from locations where the service is offered is something that many hope will not happen.

Owen Geddes, who is one of the original members of the team that created The Cloud network, is responsible for setting up Freerunner, which is the site offering this new service. The aim of this new venture is to offer free Wi-Fi access points in large community areas like schools, libraries and train stations rather than concentrating on the smaller commercial venues.

The venues where this kind of service is most popular like restaurants and coffee shops will still be able to provide access, although the responsibility of paying the charges for this service lie with the vendor, which compared to its rivals is said to be around a third of the costs that they currently charge.

The CEO of Freerunners, Geddes commented on this new venture saying “Back in 2002, free, open access points were popping up all over the place and there was a real buzz about the potential of public Wi-Fi. Since then, networks have been locked down and access for a day can cost more than your home broadband costs in a month.”

The North East of the country will be the first area to take advantage of the new network from Freerunners once it receives its funding from Northstar, although it is likely to be expanded throughout the country if it proves to be a success.