5 October 2007
BT has launched what it described as the "world's largest Wi-Fi community".
The broadband provider has teamed up with Spanish communications company FON, to start a global wireless sharing service, allowing its Total Broadband customers to access more than 190,000 FON hotspots around the world.
More than three million customers will be invited to join the network, free of charge if they share a "small portion" of their home broadband connection with others in the FON community by opening up a separate channel on their wireless router.
"This is the start of something very exciting for BT. Today we are launching a people's network of Wi-Fi, which could one day cover every street in Britain," Gavin Patterson, BT Group Managing Director for consumers, explained.
"We are giving our millions of Total Broadband customers a choice and an opportunity. If they are prepared to securely share a little of their broadband, they can share the broadband at hundreds of thousands of FON and BT Openzone hotspots today, without paying a penny.
"We have built a public Wi-Fi network and 12 Wireless Cities already, but today we are saying to customers, let's build a Wi-Fi community together, which covers everywhere and serves everyone," he added.
Community members will also have access to existing BT Openzone wireless hotspots.
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