The gadget show (Broadcast on Channel 5 in the UK) have just launched a ‘national campaign’ that entails encouraging the government to ‘blanket the entirety’ of the UK with free WiFi access.

Personally I think this is one of the best ideas I’ve heard all week, in this day and age anyway. Most gadgets nowadays involve some form of WiFi connectivity, from phones to PSP’s and obviously, laptops. In reality though, can we really use them wirelessly out in the open, being freely able to walk anywhere constantly connected? The simple answer is no.

As highlighted in the programme, coffee bars, hotels, fast food joints and even bars offer their own WiFi connection to use, but most of the time you have to pay before you connect. However, say if you walk from the coffee shop to a bar, you have to re-connect to another service (and coincidentally pay again) to continue happily surfing the net.

This, for me anyway, restricts me to using my wireless gadgets in the home, in comfortable range of a wireless router. That’s not wireless really, is it? Mobile phone masts are built all the time to ensure the country can stay constantly in range regardless of where you are, so in this constantly connected world, isn’t it time WiFi became a broadcasting standard like radio and television?

Imagine being able to walk from your house to the park, you sit down on a bench; a few kids are kicking a ball in the distance. It’s a warm summer’s day, how about a quick game of Mario Kart? You crack out your DS and connect to the nearest wireless antenna, sitting discreetly at the top of a lamppost. A few races later you move on into town and purchase a beer from your favourite bar. After a few, cool refreshing sips you realise you’d forgot to email your peers about a meeting. Not to worry, you haul out your laptop and connect to the nearest wireless antenna, send the email then book some tickets to a gig you heard about last week.

Does that picture sound great? Perhaps it’s a little too optimistic, for one, I doubt it’d be possible to install wireless access points throughout the entirety of the country, it just wouldn’t work. So, as the show proposes, wouldn’t it be great if there was free blanket WiFi coverage just in towns and city centres? It’s a start for one.

Perhaps the concept of not gaining any money from this is letting the idea down, but I think I have the solution, which has probably been already mentioned. Advertising. The core of the web. When you connect to a wireless network, and visit the ’sign in’ sort of page, surely local generated adverts could be placed strategically on that page. People say adverts are a bane, but it could be great for a local economy.

A small shop could advertise their wares, a restaurant could show off the latest offer they have on meals, fast food chains could detail their latest creations then give you immediate directions to the nearest store. Personally I think that’d be great, everywhere you walked (depending on what point you’re connected to) local adverts could be generated depending on their location.

So, to bring things to a close, how about putting your name down on the petition? Get enough names and it could be taken to Blair and co and the dream of constant connection could be alive.

Imagine that.

Sign the petition for free Wifi!

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