UK telco BT said today that
it has installed half of the million Wi-Fi hotspots it plans for
this year.
The sites include hotspots provided by the BT FON Wi-Fi
Community, BT Openzone, 12 wireless city centres, plus BT Openzone
hotspots via the BT Business Hub.
Well-known brands that offer access include the Hilton, Thistle
and Ramada Jarvis hotels, Caffe Nero and Starbucks coffee shops,
Welcome Break and Roadchef Costa service stations, as well as BA,
Flybe and Skyteam airport lounges.
Another 50,000 hotspots are available in the UK and overseas
through international roaming partners, the company said.
BT said its 4.8 million consumer and business broadband users
have inclusive network minutes in their contracts to surf the net
or make cheaper VoIP calls. Last year, BT cut Wi-Fi charges for
casual users, making it available from as little as 0.5p per
minute.