BT business hub doubles as hotspot

BT is offering businesses a new Wifi hub that can double as a public Openzone hotspot for free or paid-for use by customers.

The idea is that businesses such as restaurants, hotels, cafes, doctor and dentists can offer Wifi access on their premises.

BT Openzone subscribers, and others with Openzone usage credits, can access the hotspot as usual. But other users will have to buy access time from the hotspot owner, offering a new source of income; alternatively the owner could pay for the access as a way of drawing in customers.

The arrangement is similar to that of the Fon system, under which users agree to share their Wifi link with passers-by in exchange for having access to the Wifi of other Fon subscribers.

A BT spokesman agreed that it was possible for businesses simply to open their Wifi networks for customer use and pay nothing extra, provided they did not exceed their broadband cap. But he pointed out that the Business Total Broadband hub prioritises the business's own traffic and keeps the network secure.

Previously businesses wanting to set up an Openzone hotspot would need to install a separate hub.