Legal basis fot UK community wireless?

January 10, 2006 11:49 AM

What are the laws for doing free/open municipal wireless in the UK? I know it's all over the place but what exactly are the laws permitting it? what restrictions, if any are on it? Thanks.
posted by By The Grace of God to Law & Government (2 answers total)

I wouldn't have thought there was any legal prohibition on it, unless it waqs something in the radio spectrum licensing stuff, on which I am totally ignorant. Councils (in terms of municipalities) could operate then under their new powers to benefit the community under the latest local government act (2000? 2001?), although I doubt many could afford to do so atm.

On reflection the other possible stumbling block would be EU competition law, which might class such a project as illegal state aid. Sadly this is something else I know little about. On reflection again, this isn't the most helpful answer ever...
posted by prentiz at 5:17 PM on January 10, 2006

Try contacting cityspace
posted by Lanark at 11:11 AM on January 11, 2006