O2 Wifi – changing notspots to hotspots

O2’s UK Chief Executive Ronan Dunne explains why the launch of O2 Wifi will change the way public Wi-Fi works forever.

 

Today we’re announcing O2 Wifi, a service that will provide premium Wi-Fi hotspots through partnerships with key venue owners and will be open to anyone for free, regardless of what mobile or broadband network a person may be on.

At O2 we’ve led the way in the use of mobile data and, in particular, public Wi-Fi. Our customers have had free hotspot access at The Cloud and BT Openzone included in their tariffs from the launch of the iPhone in 2007 and we’ve seen new and exciting uses for mobile data appear ever since. Instead of sending a text to some friends to say where we are, we now check-in on services like Facebook and Foursquare. A night out can now be planned on the go using Google Maps on your smartphone. And getting home is easy – find your last train home or book a cab over the web without making a single phone call.

O2 Wifi will address the many shortcomings in the way most Wi-Fi hotspots work – you won’t need to buy a coffee to use it and it won’t matter what sim card is in your phone. You’ll only ever need to sign in once and then our network will remember you, wherever you go. Even better, our hotspots will be powered by our own broadband network which delivers speeds up to three times as fast as other hotspots may get.

---

Want more on WiFi? Read 10 ways O2 WiFi could have rewritten history

---

Our hotspots will start to appear over the next few months, first at our offices and our shops. But, by 2013, O2 Wifi will have double the amount of premium hotspots currently offered by BT Openzone and The Cloud combined. We’ll also work with the venues that host O2 Wifi to integrate O2 Media and O2 Money too, meaning you could use O2 Wifi at your favourite restaurant and get a discount on the meal you love.

We’re really excited to be starting work on O2 Wifi and think it’ll change the way public Wi-Fi works in the UK for the better, forever. I’d like to hear your thoughts on how you currently use Wi-Fi when you’re out and about – do you use a hotspot at the moment or do you find they’re more of a ‘notspot’? Let me know in the comments below.

Update: Which? has described our announcement as opening up 'a new way of getting online on the go for many smartphone, tablet and laptop users.'

Liked this? Then try these

• 10 ways O2 WiFi could have rewritten history
• "Son, there's something you should know"
• Should going online cost more in cities?

Comments

[James H]

Sounds brilliant.

But how are you going to make money out of me as a Three customer using your Wifi?

[Matthew Scarth]

Will there be an iPhone style profile currently provided by the cloud so the phone automatically connects without having to select the network and sign in every time??

[Matt Grant]

This is great news. I occasionally use the free Wifi hotspots when they are available, but often they don't work and you have to "forget" them so you can fall back on 3G.

A public system that remembers you, regardless of location will provide so much benefit to customers, whilst not eating into their data allowance, thus easing the strain on operators 3G networks.

Top marks to O2.

[Jeremy Noott]

Whenever I try to access BTbroadband when out, my iPhone 4 on O2 never connects. Very annoying so I hope this will change things!

[Obscuremetaphor]

The main thing that stops me using wifi when im out is the need to login so much, and using various different systems. most of the time its faster to use my own internet connection, than to fiddle through a login process just to check something simple. a single login across multiple hotspots would change how I use my phone forever.

[Sixoftwo]

Mr Dunne mentioned using O2 Money over wi-fi, may I ask what security are O2 putting in place?

[AndyBold]

This is a great step forward for everybody.

I do use The Cloud hotspots when they are available (I tend to have problems with Openzone) so I understand the difference that this will make.

Can you clarify what is meant by "premium hotspot"? It sounds at odds with "free for everyone" - does "premium" refer to "fast, easy, low latency"?

Finally, there is no such thing as a free lunch. What will O2 be doing with the data collected about service usage (presumably linked to phone number) of people who use the service?

[cyberdoyle]

any chance of getting wifi into the rural areas? currently it is hard to get an O2 mobile signal in any of them, and no adsl broadband either. Ever thought of using our churches as a venue? We can't pay much but can say lots of prayers for you, and you will harvest the customers...
chris
http://rickwaghorn.co.uk/2011/01/25/the-diocese-of-hereford-and-worcester-tonight-make-a-very-interesting-move-into-the-future-of-rural-broadband-in-the-uk/

[Jonathan]

I do use public wifi where available, particularly now O2 have some of the lowest data caps on iPhone tariffs.

Why should I, as an O2 customer, fund a service available to all? How will having other network users sharing the wifi bandwidth benefit me?

In summary, this sound like good news for other networks, if you want free unlimited wifi you can get it off O2 but choose another network offering better deals in terms of monthly rates or 3G data caps.

[david priestley]

Sounds a brilliant idea,cant wait until its rolled out.I use wifi when i'm out and about in places like mcdonalds etc but find most a pain to access.Anything easier to use would be good.

[Michael]

Yay!

[Fardsmobile]

I struggle to find any existing wifi hotspots, several that show on the hotspot page aren't there..

so more hotspots would be good, its a pity BT openzone isn't really an open zone but their silly locked down FON system.
If that was usable it would be great.

[Adrian Hillier]

I like the sound of this, any increase in the number of free hotshots is a great thing. Like others, I also have issues with Openzone and BTFon, despite being both an O2 and BT Broadband customer. The Cloud has always been excellent, BT needs to get itself sorted on this issue. Good for you, O2, for getting this started.

[Simon]

The BT Openzone annoys me. Half of them are not included in the free o2 deal but my iPhone will continue to try to login, which then blocks my Internet when it can't connect. Very frustrating, if they were labelled correctly then we'd know which to use.

[andy]

Perhaps O2 have worked out that increasing the amount of wi-fi coverage could be cheaper than adding data capacity on the mobile phone network.

They removed the nearest 3g transmitter near me a year or two ago. I'm not in the sticks, well not completely, but only half a mile from a motorway.

I assume that the wi-fi facility might be funded by pop-up advertising. I had a pop-up about O2 wi-fi on the BBC News website this afternoon, using using Opera Mini.

[Darren rogers]

Can wait great news from the best network in the uk. Can use my wifi on my iphone even more then

[pixie]

Sounds like a great idea, the more the better. Just one thing, you might want to check your spelling in the first paragraph "hotpots...."

[O2]

Good thinking Pixie, we've changed that now :)

[AjitJaokar]

This is truly commendable and nice to see this!

[Alex]

It never ceases to amaze me to see the ever increasing technological leaps and bounds being achieved and in less and less time and there are certain companies who, with just cause, manouvre to the front of it all. It also amazes me that many of these company names seem to be getting shorter too, as if keeping in time with technology. This gives me an idea for the name of my next company ....Does '1' sound OK?

[Pat]

Nobody (including 02) is saying how to login, passwords etc etc

[O2]

Pat, visit http://o2wifi.co.uk/ Hope that helps!