SCOTLAND'S largest council is being accused of "smoke and mirrors" after it emerged a promise for city-wide free wi-fi network will be confined to just 30 minutes of access.
The revelation comes after Glasgow City Council announced free open air wi-fi would be available in the city in time for the 2014 Commonwealth Games.
But it qualified this by declaring it would only be available in George Square in the heart of the city centre, the athletes' village in Dalmarnock and areas within the Clyde Gateway, a massive area primed for redevelopment but home to a very limited number of businesses.
Now, after senior officials at the authority were probed about the promise, it has emerged access will only be free for a limited amount of time.
Anyone looking to go beyond the 30 minutes would have to pay a daily to an annual rate.
The council said this was to prevent the system being abused for commercial use and said access to its own website would continue to be free beyond the half hour limit.
But opposition politicians have said the limit undermines the labour administration's citywide free access pledge.
The council's SNP leader Graeme Hendry said: "As with so many of Labour's manifesto promises this is another pig in a poke. Their manifesto was clear: Labour will make Glasgow a wireless city, providing a free wi-fi network across the entire city.
"What the people will receive is a service in the city centre and few select areas by the middle of 2014 and a limit of 30 minutes of free access per day on the 'free network'. Glasgow Labour have form on this type of smoke and mirrors.
"I hope that the service, which is to be rolled out on a limited geographic basis, will bring lasting benefits for residents and visitors across the whole of Glasgow, but remain to be convinced that this scheme will truly deliver free wi-fi across the entire city."
Tory councillor David Meikle said: "One of Glasgow Labour's top pledges at last year's council election was free citywide wi-fi. It seems this pledge is unravelling by the day.
"First we learned it was only being rolled out in three areas and now this damning revelation that it will only be free for 30 minutes. The public who voted Labour based on this manifesto will see this as a broken promise."
The council announced last week it is aiming to strike a deal with an internet provider, which would see equipment mounted on council buildings and street furniture, which is expected to cost around £130,000.
But correspondence from one senior officer states that the council is "looking at systems where the first 30 minutes are free". It continues: "If you want to use it longer then you can register and pay – we need to work out the details but normally there is a daily, weekly or monthly rate. Might even be an annual rate.
"The council would receive part of that income although it would be used in the same way as street furniture income to increase digital coverage."
A council spokesman said: "We'll soon be embarking on a procurement process which will endeavour to get the best possible deal for Glasgow. We are looking at a range of options and discussions with providers will take place soon.
"It is true that other UK cities do have wi-fi systems which limit access to 30 free minutes a day to ensure they are not abused for commercial use.
"In Glasgow, however, additional to any free general access wi-fi we also aim to secure unlimited free access to public service information such as the Glasgow City Council website as well as possible partner organisations like housing and health providers."
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