Although the managing Director of Digital City (UK) Ltd, John ‘Rikki’ Hunt has missed yet another progress target, this time failing to keep his promise to Swindon Borough Councillors to involve them in a wide ‘media session’ promised by the 13th of August 2010, I can report that the news is not as bad as might be expected from this lapse.
In the absence of any official comment, I am happy to announce that I believe the rumours currently circulating about the number of paying subscribers Digital City….. appear to be true, and that the fortunes of the joint public/private wifi project have taken a spectacular turn for the better.
Yes indeedy, the £450,000 loan of public money will be repaid in no time at all if subscriber numbers continue to rise as aggressively as Mr Hunt is now claiming.
When Mr Hunt emailed councillors in mid-July to inform them that the system had 600 ‘unique users’ the figure appeared to be very similar to one he’d already released several months earlier but, by the time BCS – The Chartered Institute For IT ran his promotional article in the first week of August 2010, Mr Hunt joyfully told BSC’s Brian Runciman that the scheme now had “2,500 homes using the service ” meaning that, (as each ‘household’ must have at least one person in them to be able to use the service), there must have been an increase of at least 1,900 users in the last fortnight.
There is a caveat of course, because I am assuming that Mr Hunts statements to Swindon Borough Councillors and to the BCS are both factually correct and that there is no gilding of lillies, exaggeration, yarn-spinning or outright bullshitting going on. Leaving the previous caveats aside for a moment, it would be fair to say that I am impressed and that my flabber is well and truly gasted.
Similarly impressive is the news that the number of userspaying £5.99 a month for the not-time-limited service has increased by 100% in the same period, from 12 to 24. It’s amazing isn’t it? and if Digital City’s sudden success continues at this phenomenal rate Mr Hunt, who is also the chairman of Swindons Strategic Economic Partnership, will have the town back on it’s financial feet by Christmas….
…which is good, because as the SSEP website says:
SSEP Role and Purpose
The SSEP was established in 2006 to lead Swindon’s ambitious strategy for economic growth.
So that’s alright then….
….or is it?
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