Although the deal has been expected since early 2007, UK telecom operator BT has inked a deal that gives its broadband subscribers have the option of sharing a portion of their broadband connections via the Fon Wi-Fi “people’s network,” in exchange for Wi-Fi access worldwide at other hotspots operated by “Foneros.”
As part of the deal, BT subscribers will also have free access to BT’s OpenZone and twelve “Wireless Cities.”
Under the deal, BT broadband subscribers who join the Fon network will securely share a portion of their broadband connectivity via Wi-Fi with others who happen to be nearby; in exchange, they’ll be able to tap into Wi-Fi access at more than 190,000 Fon Wi-Fi hotspots around the world.
“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,” said BT Group managing director for consumer products, Gavin Patterson, in a statement. “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.”
BT has invested in Fon as part of the deal, joining earlier investors like Google and eBay. Earlier this year, Fon announced an agreement with Time Warner Cable to let its subscribers access the Fon wireless network.
The idea behind the Fon Wi-Fi system is to create a “people’s network” of Wi-Fi access which is free to other “foneros”—e.g., other members who share their own broadband access at home—and available at a nominal per-use fee for non-members. Fon has recently restructured its pricing plan for “foneros,” so that they (apparently) can no longer opt to receive a portion of the revenue stream from paid users on their hotspots.
Fon may operate its claimed 190,000 hotspots worldwide, but there’s some debate as to how useful those hotspots really are to roaming users. Many foneros seem to be in residential areas, which means Wi-Fi access via Fon in business districts and public areas is comparatively rare and sporadic: for travellers and other mobile users looking for consistent Wi-Fi access, Fon’s network may not (currently) offer a strong alternative to commercial Wi-Fi networks.
