BT and FON to offer free wireless WiFi nationwide
BT and FON have joined forces to create a Wi-Fi community that allows its members to connect for free in thousands of places around the UK and the world.
Any BT Internet/Broadband customer can join for free and those with Home Hubs can also be set up a HotSpot for other customers.
Anyone doing this seems to get:
- free access to other BT customers WiFi hotspots
- free access to BT Openzone hotspots
- free access to any FON Hotspot anywhere in the world.
Note: that is someone else uses your connection as a hotspot, it doesn't come out of your own usage allowance and contains security so they are 100% separated from your own home network
Anyone opting in will be sent a firmware upgrade to their Home Hub (if they have one) from Monday
More details including FAQs and a forum at http://www.btfon.com/
Regards
Sunil
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All Comments (54)
Jump to unread Post a CommentWhat do when I get join BT FON?
In exchange for sharing your bandwidth with other BT FON members who are in range of your Wi-Fi connection, you can get access to broadband whenever you are in range of another member''s connection. BT FON members can also access FON hotspots anywhere in the world.
BT Total Broadband customers who are members of BT FON can also have access at BT Openzone Hotspots.
wonder if ipod touch's can access it too, they need to publicise this more though, and maybe offer discounts and other offers to ppl who share really...
You can download the POI on the FON website.
ie..their own email addy and password...or is it just the main user..
I have registered myself, does my son have to do the same?
I hope that makes sense!
http://www.vnunet.com/computing/news/2200611/mcdonald-free-wifi
Basically, if no one has said already...
anyone who is sharing will able to access any other hotspot free, but...
anyone who isn't will be charged by BT.
That's how they'll make the money
No, if you already have a La Fonera you can still use it and will now be able to access these new BTFON hotspots as well. (as well as BT Openzone locations it seems)
If you are a BT Broadband customer, you can elect to opt into BTFON instead/as well and if you do and have a BT Home Hub they will upload new firmware onto it to make act as a FON hotspot.
Regards
Sunil
I just wanted to add
Membership will grant users access to BT Openzone hotspots, the 190,000 hotspots FON claims worldwide, and internet connections owned by other members for no extra charge.
If another of the 500,000 international "Foneros" accesses your Home Hub, they'll be allocated 512Kbit/s of downstream bandwidth. Any data the guest downloads won't count towards the owner's usage allowance. If, in turn, a Total Broadband punter uses FON out and about, it'll be recorded on their account. BT says it'll know who carried out any illegal activity and that access to the network will be secure.
To me it seems to have access to BT Openzone hotspots also is incredible. I find loads of them all over the place. Especially in town centres. Loads are located near coffee shops (where you're less likely to find Home Hub customers). And also it seems if you travel and find another Fon hotspot, you're in luck too. Hopefully the Fon Network will be everywhere soon.
From the FAQs on btfon.com it says:
"BT Total Broadband customers who are members of BT FON can also have access at BT Openzone Hotspots."
ie. you only get the openzone if you are with BT. So basically for existing FON members, we may just get other FON hotspots popping up but not much else. I think...