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How not to run a wireless service for rural broadband ...

>What's your worst nightmare online? Yes! - someone starts a web site that looks like yours, and says rotten things about you on it.

It has been said that wireless broadband is a business with small profits. But so small you can't pay your ISP? Well, that's the impression you might well get from a careless browser entry. You might, for example, try to reach ehotspot and, by mistake, visit ehotspots plural.

A quick check of the Google cache shows the normal positive and enthusiastic proclamations about how well things are going. Well, it would do.

Back in April, the announcement was of a deal with satellite provider Aramiska: "London, April 2004, Aramiska today announced that it has agreed a major deal with 'ehotspot' to provide a further 200 rural communities with Aramiska satellite community broadband. This is the second phase of this partnership and follows the successful connection of 50 communities earlier in the year."

At the time, John Sprank, CEO of ehotspot said: "Following our initial community broadband installations we have been overwhelmed by the level of enquiries for our service."

He went on: "With our first 50 installations now in place and a further 200 to be connected shortly, I believe we are now one of the largest providers of community broadband services in the UK with first class support. In order to meet the very high level of demand, and ensure the continuation of a best in class service, we have up-scaled our operation and I am now totally confident that we will be able to offer our unique broadband service to all those rural communities that require it."

We'll just have to hope that this confidence returns ... and that whoever is hosting the lookalike site is tracked down by My Learned Friend. If you find out who it is, kick him on my behalf. I don't like being hoaxed.