BT creates nationwide Wi-Fi sharing community

04/10/2007 by swordfish.

BT and FON have finally confirmed their long-expected tie-in, thus creating the largest Wi-Fi community in the world.

FON was founded in Spain in early 2006. Broadband users who sign up to FON’s community agree to share their Wi-Fi connectivity through a separate, secure channel. They do this either for a 50 percent cut of the fees charged to their visitors or for the privilege of being able to surf other users’ connections for free, although the community has since changed its rules to allow its members to do both.

One of the biggest hindrances to FON’s expansion has been resistance from ISPs, whose terms and conditions have tended to prohibit sharing of broadband connections.

Now BT, the largest ISP in the UK, has given its approval. By doing so, the telco has effectively extended its Openzone Wi-Fi network across the three million BT Home Hubs — or at least those Home Hubs whose users agree to share their broadband connection.

Source: ZDNET

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