BT To Offer Wi-Fi Service To London Underground Users?

DorsetBoy · Oct 30, 2010, 13:00:57

http://www.oss.itproportal.com/portal/news/article/2010/10/30/bt-offer-wi-fi-service-london-underground-users/

QuoteBT has started trials to offer Wi-Fi on London Underground with connectivity being offered at Charing Cross underground station at the ticket hall and for both the Bakerloo and Northern line platforms.

The tests, which will last six months and start on the 1st of November, are several steps away from a full blown wireless communication mesh across London Underground.

Users won't be able to use internet whilst in tunnels but BT broadband customers and possibly those who have BT Openzone as part of their package will be able to test it...... [more]

Lance · Oct 30, 2010, 23:33:49

I can't see much need for it to be honest. I don't think I've ever waited on a platform for longer than 5 minutes for a tube to come, and I can live with no wifi for that long!

Simon · Oct 30, 2010, 23:41:38

I've never yet found an open wifi network that actually works!

DorsetBoy · Oct 31, 2010, 07:13:28

My thoughts were that most people would prefer BT to be concentrating their efforts on providing and infrastructure that worked correctly above ground

Gary · Oct 31, 2010, 10:24:43

Quote from: Simon on Oct 30, 2010, 23:41:38
I've never yet found an open wifi network that actually works!

Really? I use the Openzone and Cloud ones fine, Simon.

Simon · Oct 31, 2010, 10:43:33

It's probably just the area I've tried them in, Gary. With reasonable 3G here, I don't really need it.

Gary · Oct 31, 2010, 10:48:40

Quote from: Simon on Oct 31, 2010, 10:43:33
It's probably just the area I've tried them in, Gary. With reasonable 3G here, I don't really need it.

I had issues with one as it said register, but with O2 you get them anyway, i ignored the register bit and t worked fine after. There is a Openzone hotspot near my house which pops up now and then in a scan, which is odd as I live in a rural location, and its not a BT|FON one

no 3G here, a 3 mini sim card for my iphone is looking very tempting along with a mifi for when the net goes down, good old BT

Lance · Oct 31, 2010, 10:51:53

The cloud works fine for me, but I find the problem with the BT Openzone hotspots is that if you leave the phone settings to automatically connect, it picks up the FON network as well which is very annoying. Ideally, FON would have a different SSID.

Gary · Oct 31, 2010, 10:54:05

Quote from: Lance on Oct 31, 2010, 10:51:53
The cloud works fine for me, but I find the problem with the BT Openzone hotspots is that if you leave the phone settings to automatically connect, it picks up the FON network as well which is very annoying. Ideally, FON would have a different SSID.

I noticed that Lance, also sometimes when I get home it looks for the Openzone rather than my own network and sticks to that.

Lance · Oct 31, 2010, 10:56:19

I've only had that problem once, just last week actually.

Rik · Oct 31, 2010, 12:57:35

I think they're doing it so that the emergency services can communicate in the event of another issue...