BT turns British businesses into wifi mesh

BT today announced that its business broadband customers would now be able to turn their premises into wifi hotspots for visitors.

According to research commissioned by BT, 28% of small businesses believe that giving visitors the opportunity to use telephones and desks improves working relationships. BT therefore believes turning an SME’s existing broadband internet connection into a BT Openzone hub providing wifi access will also be seen positively. 

The integrity of BT business customers’ broadband connections is maintained with technology implemented to allow a virtual separate broadband connection for visitors and customers.

This can be turned into a full BT Openzone hub with vouchers offered for sale, if desired. Whether forcing visitors to pay for access will have quite the same beneficial effects in terms of building positives relationships is another question.

All in all this is an interesting strategy from BT. There is a potential benefit to the 170,000 BT business customers that already have an appropriate Total Broadband Hub as long as they can be assured creating an Openzone hub will not degrade their own connection.  It is also a rather interesting way for BT to extend its network of wifi hotspots without physically having to build new infrastructure.

It’ll be interesting to see what take up this initiative receives.