BT Boosts WiFi With Hotspot In A Box
Over in the UK, BT is trying to jumpstart their commercial hotspot business by making it easier for small businesses to set up their own WiFi hotspots. They're trying to offer a complete bundle of WiFi equipment with DSL service. It's a little unclear from the article if everyone signing up for this then needs to be tied into BT's commercial WiFi offering, of if they can determine on their own how they want to offer the service to their customers. Update: As I was writing this, someone else was submitting it as a story (with a different link) and a good analysis, so I'm adding that here: August Jackson writes "This ZDNet article talks about how BT are bundling WiFi equipment and subscriptions with their DSL service and is similar to what Verizon have been talking about in recent weeks. To my mind this is a very important development for RBOCs and ILECs to remain relevant as mobiles and VoIP move POTS closer and closer to irrelevance. It also helps address some of the questions about the viability of WiFi hotspots. If the current subscription charges are too expensive (and I do believe they are) then perhaps a better way to look at the technology is as a means of customer retention by bundling in home broadband access with wireless remote access for when you're on the road. On the home front I suspect the average non-geek consumer is frightened to one degree or another to deploy their own wireless access point, so this bundling in and of itself is looking pretty exciting to me. What does everyone think? Good moves on the part of BT and Verizon or am I getting all in a lather over nothing? Do cable companies or those who compete with ILECs have an opportunity to respond? "
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