Pretty soon some subjects of England won’t hold their phones above their heads to find a good internet connection, they’ll point it to the ground.

In Chesham, England, population 21,000, Virgin Media and the Chiltern District Council are working together on the “Smart Pavement Project,” which will place rainproof “discreet street furniture” devices that connect “directly to Virgin Media’s fiber network” and provide “ultra-fast Wi-Fi via a submerged access point beneath a specially developed resin cover.”

Translation: the entire town will get high-speed Wi-Fi via secret devices that connect under the town’s sidewalks.

The program will see a huge jump in the connection speeds for Chesham, going from 11.8Mbps up to a 166Mbps, which Virgin says is seven times higher than the average UK broadband speed. Because the connections will be good from 260 feet away from the sidewalk, the town’s center and park will also be covered. Chesham will literally be its own hotspot.

“I am delighted that we’ve been able to bring a UK first to Chesham with Virgin Media’s ultra fast Wi-Fi, helping local people and businesses get online. Efficient connectivity is pivotal to running businesses today and I am proud we are part of a project which is crossing new boundaries,” said Fred Wilson, Chiltern District Council Cabinet member.

The future scares me. Technology makes me fearful. The machines will soon lord over us the way we do ants.

But this is freaking awesome and I want it now. Hell, I’d take a chip in my head if it meant constant, high-speed internet access. Those cat videos don’t watch themselves, you know? (But what if they did?!?!)

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HT: Dailydot
Image: Virgin Media