| BT Openzone has extended its wireless | | | | Well, technically no, but some broadband analysts |
| broadband network to cover one million hotspots. | | | | are claiming that including in the figures wireless |
| Openzone, which operates on a pay-as-you-go or | | | | hotspots broadcast by BT Home and Business |
| a subscribtion basis, can be found in cafes, hotels | | | | Hubs is a little cheeky, especially as one user |
| and motorway service stations. | | | | claims that this option is switched on by default. |
| In the last six months the company claims to | | | | This makes hotspots a boost only for consumer |
| have doubled the number of wireless broadband | | | | who take BT broadband deals. |
| hotspots it owns in the UK from 500,000 to 1 | | | | Traffic growth |
| million. | | | | BT claims that it is expecting a billion minutes of |
| That's a huge number of places to get online! | | | | use to have been clocked up across its Openzone |
| In fact if this growth continues then every other | | | | wireless broadband service during the last year, |
| broadband provider might as well pack up and go | | | | saying that the growth of the iPhone has boosted |
| home. | | | | demand.iPhone users get free access to wireless |
| Rival wireless broadband provider The Cloud use | | | | broadband via BT Openzone and The Cloud |
| O2's broadband network to keep 5,000 hotspots | | | | included in their contracts, but many iPhone users |
| going, but how can BT Openzone jumped so far | | | | say they can only connect to the original |
| ahead of its rival? | | | | Openzone hotspots, not the Home Hubs. |
| What's a Hotspot Not? | | | | Some claim that their iPhone's routinely have |
| When broken down the BT figures begin to make | | | | attempted connections refused or are even |
| a little more sense. | | | | greeted with messages asking them to pay extra |
| The main driving force behind the growth in | | | | to access online services. |
| Openzone hotspots has been the service | | | | This means that instead of a million to choose |
| whereby users of fixed-line BT services can share | | | | from, iPhone users may only have access to |
| their broadband and broadcast an Openzone | | | | 3,800. |
| wireless hotspot alongside their home wireless | | | | This will clearly be a major factor when iphone |
| broadband network. | | | | users come to compare broadband deals |
| Wireless Hotspots such as these make up around | | | | Mobile Broadband Challenge |
| 996,000 of Openzone's 1 million hotspots. | | | | There is no doubting that a million strong wireless |
| Which leaves around 3,800 hotspots which are | | | | network potentially provides a great service but |
| situated in useful places like cafes, bars and hotels, | | | | BT Openzone will need to keep ensure that its |
| places where you would expect to traditionally | | | | customers take advantage before fast improving |
| find an Openzone hotspot. | | | | mobile broadband networks take a chunk of its |
| So has BT fiddled its figures? | | | | wireless business. |