BT offers foreign Wi-Fi hotspots

 

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By Matthew Sparkes

Posted on 3 Oct 2008 at 11:54

BT has announced it will be offering customers free access to an additional 6,600 Wi-Fi hotspots situated throughout the United States, South America and Canada.

The announcement comes as BT signs a deal with US wireless company iBAHN to open up 1,500 hotspots across the US and Canada, mainly situated in hotels, and with Vex to give access to 4,600 hotspots in South America.

Existing BT customers will be given free access, but international travellers will also be able to buy access through the company without taking up a subscription. These customers will be charges £28 for 500 minutes over a 14 day period.

As well as these international hotspots an extra 230 hotel-based locations are being opened to BT customers in the UK through iBAHN. However, this expansion is a drop in the ocean compared to the huge loss of 6,500 hotspots that BT saw last month.

BT failed to negotiate a continued deal with Wi-Fi providers The Cloud, prompting the removal of access to the company's extensive infrastructure.

"It's disappointing for BT Openzone customers that they will no longer be able to benefit from the convenience of our hotspots," The Cloud said in a statement at the time.

Despite this, BT claims that it is a minor setback, "we really don't feel that our customers will be disadvantaged," said a BT spokesperson this morning.