NetStumbler

BT Keeps Quiet On Wi-Fi Sharing Talks

Eliza Villarino — Fri, 16 Feb 2007 13:26:00 +0000

BT is keeping mum on rumors it is having secret negotiations with FON. The company said it wants to expand its Wi-Fi coverage but it has no deal with the Spanish Wi-Fi sharing network at the moment. According to Reuters, however, the two firms are holding talks with each other. Many ISPs, including BT, have been dissuading people from using FON, which allows its subscribers to share wireless Internet access with each other.
Via [news.zdnet.co.uk]

Households Pick Up VoIP

Eliza Villarino — Mon, 29 Jan 2007 12:40:00 +0000

BT boasted that sign-ups for its Broadband Talk and Softphone Voice-over-IP (VoIP) services have reached one million. The figure includes subscribers to the Broadband Talk service and those who have secured a dedicated VoIP number. The company also said many of its 500,000 Business Broadband customers are also VoIP users though it declined to say the specific figure.

BT also unveiled a WiFi variant to its fixed mobile convergence (FMC) package. The solution allows subscribers to perform calls using cellular networks, Wi-Fi hotspots or private wireless LANs for a fixed monthly charge. Nokia, Samsung and Motorola are selling handsets that are compatible with this service.
Via [computing.co.uk]

BT Tweaks Its Fusion Wi-Fi Package For Businesses

Eliza Villarino — Mon, 08 Jan 2007 08:43:00 +0000

BT unveiled BT Fusion Wi-Fi, a fixed-mobile convergence solution that aims to lower communication costs in small to medium enterprises. The system involves directing calls over broadband connections via private company WLANs and about 2,000 BT Openzone public access hot spots.

Subscribers to the BT Business One Plan pay as little as 5p for a 60 minute call. The plan requires users to buy a Ã‚Â£15 dual GSM/Wi-Fi mobile phone — currently, BT only offers Nokia 6136 and Motorola A910, but plans to make Samsung’s P200 available by January — for each user and pay 15p per minute for mobile calls to other BT mobile users and 25p for mobile calls to mobile phones connected to other carriers. Each Fusion handset comes preloaded with software that supports unlicensed mobile access or UMA.

Steve Andrews, managing director of BT mobility and convergence, expects no dropped calls with the system — if the user goes out of original coverage, the call will revert to GSM before connecting to the next available access point. The company plans to test a corporate variant of the service, which would involve utilizing a specially configured mesh wireless network and integrating with IP private branch exchanges.
Via [itweek.co.uk]

BT Cuts Hotspot Costs

Eliza Villarino — Wed, 25 Oct 2006 08:48:00 +0000

BT is giving more minutes to people accessing its Openzone WiFi hotspot. The offer, which will last through January 31, 2007, allows users of its Â£6 one-hour vouchers to have 90 non-consecutive minutes so long as they use them within 24 hours. Those under the 24-hour or 30-day plan have no similar privilege.
Via [techworld.com]

BT Advocates WiFi For Spying On Neighbours

Eliza Villarino — Wed, 26 Jul 2006 14:13:00 +0000

BT believes WiFi can be beneficial to the work of local authorities. The technology, according to BT, can be used to locate noisy parties and, with the installation of Webcams and sensors, may help fight crimes. The company hopes to expand the coverage of its ‘wide radius’ wireless broadband networks to six new cities in the U.K. over the next 18 months. This would bring the total number of British cities under BT’s coverage to 20.
Via [theinquirer.net]

BT To Beam Wireless Broadband To Cities

Eliza Villarino — Mon, 22 May 2006 10:29:00 +0000

BT Group intends to install a network of Wi-Fi hotspots in 12 U.K. cities, including Leeds, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Liverpool, Cardiff and London’s Westminster area, by the end of 2006. Steve Andrews, BT’s chief of converged services, clarified that the plan only constitutes the first phase and that the company expects to expand its coverage. In addition to the networks, the firm also plans to offer a set of information and public services for the local authorities. Another Wi-Fi company, The Cloud, has already set up nine hotspot zones such as London’s Square Mile and Canary Wharf financial districts and Manchester city centre.
Via [today.reuters.co.uk]

Nintendo Users Get Free Wi-Fi Downloads

RenderMan — Wed, 29 Mar 2006 17:42:00 +0000

Nintendo is partnering with BT openzone in the UK to setup WiFi hotspots in game retail stores for Nintendo DS users to download content, demo’s and promotional information. a Million subscribed Nintendo WiFi subscribers is quite the market base for this service. At the very least this proves that Wifi is becoming mainstream.
Via [vnunet.com]

BT To Develop Global Wi-Fi

Wayne Slavin — Fri, 24 Feb 2006 13:41:00 +0000

BT wants to build a global wi-fi network to enable customers to make cheap mobile calls routed over the internet anywhere in the world.
Via [thebusinessonline.com]

BT Weighs WiMax Move

Wayne Slavin — Mon, 20 Feb 2006 10:35:00 +0000

BT is reportedly considering a bid for Pipex in a move that would give it one of the scarce WiMax licences currently held in the UK.
Via [computing.co.uk]

Broadband Boom Boosts BT’s Profits

Wayne Slavin — Thu, 16 Feb 2006 10:22:00 +0000

BT surprised the City on Thursday morning by announcing third-quarter figures that were better than analysts had predicted.
Via [news.zdnet.co.uk]

Boingo Wireless, BT Partner For Wi-Fi

Wayne Slavin — Fri, 21 Oct 2005 13:29:00 +0000

Boingo Wireless is adding more muscle to its Boingo Roaming System, thanks to a newly signed deal with British Telecommunications’ (BT) BT Openzone Wi-Fi Internet service provider.
Via [wirelessweek.com]

100 People To Trial WiMAX For BT

Wayne Slavin — Thu, 20 Oct 2005 17:23:00 +0000

A hundred people are to take part in WiMAX trials in Belfast and Birmingham as BT tests the water for wireless broadband.
Via [theregister.co.uk]

Navini, BT Announce WiMAX Trial

Wayne Slavin — Wed, 19 Oct 2005 15:08:00 +0000

Navini Networks is on a tear. The vendor is now working with British Telecommunications (BT) on a trial of pre-WiMAX systems for the United Kingdom.
Via [wirelessweek.com]

BT Unveils 3G Wi-Fi Combo

Wayne Slavin — Mon, 17 Oct 2005 14:30:00 +0000

BT has launched a combined Wi-Fi, 3G and GPRS tariff for road warriors and other business folk on the move.
Via [theregister.co.uk]

Openzone Boss Optimistic About Wi-Fi Take Up

Wayne Slavin — Tue, 13 Sep 2005 18:23:00 +0000

BT says Wi-Fi usage is growing fast, and claims network aggregators such as iPass don’t offer the kind of coverage that mobile workers need.
Via [news.zdnet.co.uk]