The Wiltshire town of Swindon is to become the first in the UK to provide free wireless internet access to all its residents.

A "Wi-Fi mesh" would give blanket internet coverage for 186,000 citizens, the council said today.

The £1m project will be funded by a mixture of public and private money. It is hoped the scheme will break into profit with residents subscribing to faster, paid-for access, above the free service.

About 1,400 secure access points will be fitted around Swindon, similar to those used in homes, but "with a much higher performance".

The borough council worked with a local businessman, Rikki Hunt, who came up with the concept, and the digital technology firm aQovia to create a new company – Digital City UK.

Under the brand name Signal, it will roll out the technology throughout the town.

Line rental is free and there is no connection charge. The public will be able to access the internet and download emails without charge, but usage will be limited.

There are also plans to deliver information such as real-time home electricity usage and air-quality monitoring.

The mesh also has the potential to provide free internet phone-calls. The council says this could be used by health professionals to carry out consultations and remote medical procedures or examinations through Telemedicine – a form of interactive online healthcare).

The council says subscribers can sign up for 20Mb upgrades for "significantly less per month than major broadband competitors" after a free three-month trial.

There will also be pay-as-you-go options so visitors can use the network.

The wireless project will be run by Digital City UK Ltd, of which Swindon borough council has a 35% share, with the intention of working on similar rollouts in other towns and cities.

Rod Bluh, Swindon borough council leader, said: "Not only will residents in the borough be able to access the internet for free, the council and its partners will be able to use the technology to provide cutting-edge services to the areas or individuals who need them."

The council caused controversy this year when it shut down all its fixed-point speed cameras.