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BT rounds on O2 to promote ‘unlimited’ Wi-Fi hotspot offer

by Scott Bicheno on 21 June 2010, 18:04

Tags: British Telecom (LON:BT.A), O2/Telefonica (NYSE:TEF)

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Limitless cheek

For some reason, BT has singled out O2 for derision in order to promote the extension of ‘unlimited' access for all BT Total Broadband customers to its BT Openzone and BT FON wireless hotspots.

BT clearly sees the move by mobile operators to put a fixed cap on nearly all monthly mobile broadband packages as an opportunity to promote its Wi-Fi hotspots as an alternative form of connectivity.

Where previously BT Total Broadband customers got access to its hotspots, with the number of minutes per month capped, they now get unlimited access, which we would expect to still be subject to some kind of ‘fair use' policy.

To illustrate how much more generous it is than those tight-fisted mobile operators, BT has focused on O2, although capped mobile broadband is now the norm. "Wi-Fi gets wider with BT Total Broadband as O2 rations 3G," proclaimed the headline of BT's press release, before sneering: "We thought rationing ended in the 50s."

And BT wasn't finished there, BT consumer MD, John Petter, had this to say: "Because of the growing number of BT customers with mobile devices such as tablet computers and smartphones, we know that mobile access to the internet is needed more than ever before. Now that operators like O2 are rationing 3G, BT Total Broadband customers can find fast Wi-Fi connections all over the UK's towns and cities with unlimited internet access from 1.5 million hotspots."

We're not sure what O2 has done to BT, to attract this malevolent attention. Maybe BT is just bitter that it sold O2 six years ago, just as mobile communications moving up to the next level.

 



HEXUS Forums :: 5 Comments

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Probably because 02 now does Home phone and broadband.
I could never see why BT didn't introduce a wifi phone that could connect through BT Openzone and possibly even regular BT Broadband users. They could have charged standard phone call rates and profit shared with either the Openzone outlet or the home user who was willing to share part of his broadband. The only thing I could see stopping them was a non-compete with o2 in the mobile arena put in when they sold it.
Now, if you have coverage, the 3 Skype phones are great; free Skype-to-Skype calls on a mobile with no need to even top up.
very daft question perhaps, but does this mean that all o2 customers get access to bt openzone now? or does it mean that o2 customers with the wifi bolt on now get “unlimted” downloads via openzone instead of a set limit? or what does it mean in simple real terms
uni
very daft question perhaps, but does this mean that all o2 customers get access to bt openzone now? or does it mean that o2 customers with the wifi bolt on now get “unlimted” downloads via openzone instead of a set limit? or what does it mean in simple real terms

None of that - I think the point of the story is that BT are targeting o2 in their advertising campaigns, trying to say “o2 have introduced download limits for their mobile service, so why not use BT Openzone instead!”.

All very silly to be honest since they are trying to compare different services…mobile networks to Wifi, pointless comparison.

What makes this even more stupid is that, unless things have changed in the past few month (and they may have), o2 customers with the WiFi bolt-on get free unlimited access to BT Openzone anyway!
Spud1
None of that - I think the point of the story is that BT are targeting o2 in their advertising campaigns, trying to say “o2 have introduced download limits for their mobile service, so why not use BT Openzone instead!”.

All very silly to be honest since they are trying to compare different services…mobile networks to Wifi, pointless comparison.

What makes this even more stupid is that, unless things have changed in the past few month (and they may have), o2 customers with the WiFi bolt-on get free unlimited access to BT Openzone anyway!

well that's what was confusing me, o2 customers using openzone. i presume it was a limited service, but is not unlimited. when i get my new iphone i'll have a proper iphone contract so will have the wifi, only i'm never anywhere near an openzone hotspot so it's pretty useless to me most of the time