A DEAL to make Slough the world’s ‘first wireless city’ has sensationally collapsed, with the telecoms company in question pulling out and the Borough Council distancing itself from the venture.

Angie Networks Limited, a company based in Maarsvergen, Netherlands, had planned to deliver a 5G wireless network across Slough borough by November last year at a cost of £30 a month to residents who opted in.

They had intended to make Slough the world’s first ‘ultra-intelligent city’ and said that failure ‘was not an option’. But this week it emerged that the relationship between Slough Borough Council (SBC) and the company had broken down as far back as October. The UK arm of its business, that was heading the Slough project, has also since been dissolved but could return in the foreseeable future, its CEO said.

There had been a Memorandum of Understanding, rather than a contract, between Angie Networks and SBC.

The company would have entirely funded the project by itself at a cost of £12million, with SBC providing support in other ways.

Chief Executive Officer of Angie, Neil Lachman, said: “Slough Borough Council promised us cooperation and they have done literally zero.”

Mr Lachman said his company had wanted to wire up six public buildings in Slough, including Langley, Upton Lea, Cippenham and Westfield community centres, to provide the network.

However, he claims that SBC did not give his team access to the buildings and that they would have to wait three months for an agreement on property entry rights. Three of the buildings would also require work before any installation could begin, he said.

Mr Lachman added: “They are robbing Slough of £12million investment. The way we were treated is really miserable.”

A council spokesperson said: “The council withdrew from the Memorandum of Understanding in October 2016 because we decided it was no longer appropriate or suitable to our needs.”

Angie Networks say plans for Slough are “no longer a priority”, with the company agreeing projects in several other places.

Mr Lachman said: “I don’t want to deal with Slough for the foreseeable.”

Mr Lachman also claimed that only “a handful”of residents had signed up to the £30 per month internet deal and they would be able to claim a refund by contacting the company. He added that the company were “forgiving” and would complete the work in the future if called upon.

Mr Lachman had given a speech at the Copthorne Hotel on September 30 entitled “How Slough will transform into a wireless gigabit and smart city”.

As recently as September, the company had claimed ‘within a matter of a few months, Slough will become the world’s first true Wireless Gigabit City’.