Ericsson puts wireless broadband into pubs

By Alun Williams

Posted on 7 Mar 2003 at 12:02

Ericsson has signed contracts with Inspired Broadcast Networks (IBN) for the deployment of 5,000 public Wi-Fi hot spots throughout the UK.

'The Cloud' - as the network is dubbed - is being deployed via a network of Leisure Link 'entertainment terminals'. There are 90,000 such coin-op machines in 30,000 locations across the UK including railway stations, motorway service stations, but the main location is pubs.

While the machines are networked together for gaming and entertainment purposes, the broadband capabilities will be made available for other operators. BT OpenZone will be taking advantage of the facilities to provide wireless broadband services to punters who bring their laptop to the pub.

Although Ericsson officially describes it as Europe's largest public Wi-Fi network, a spokesperson for the Swedish telecoms giant told us that, as far as the company was aware, the rollout was unrivalled. Probably the largest network of hot spots in the world. He explained that it was relatively inexpensive to add the WLAN (wireless local area network) capability to the DSL-based infrastructure. Ericsson will be providing the base stations and DSL modems across the 5,000 sites.

There are plans to expand the network to 30,000 hot spots across the UK over the next three years.

IBN believes such hostelries are an ideal environment for Wi-Fi services. Not only have the major pub groups made big investments in food and facilities to attract a better class of lager lout, but they make good meeting places during the day and a target for broadband entertainment applications in the evening.

Intel has been involved in the deal as well as BT and Ericsson. It is another example of the chip giant preparing the ground for the launch of its wireless-based Centrino mobile processor technology. We reported earlier in the week that it had been working with Marriott Hotels to ensure its roll out of hot spots would be suitably Centrino friendly.