Free Wi-Fi comes to London in time for the Olympics
Virgin Media has already introduced free Wi-Fi to selected Underground stations -- with more to be added by the end of the year -- and now O2 is doing its bit to transform London into Europe’s largest free Wi-Fi zone with a roll out of hotspots at numerous landmarks across the city.
Free to access and use, irrespective of what network you’re on, the hotspots are already available at Oxford Street, Regent Street, Trafalgar Square, Leicester Square, Piccadilly Circus and Parliament Square, with Covent Garden to be added soon. The first time you connect you’ll need to register your details, but after that you’ll be automatically connected whenever you get within range of a signal. Assuming, of course, that O2 doesn't suffer another network disruption like the one it experienced recently.
Speaking of the O2 initiative, which will remain free even after the Olympics have finished, Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London, comments: "With millions of extra people coming to town for the Games, we want to ensure we showcase the capital as the best city in the world to work and visit, and the addition of free Wi-Fi to some of our most popular landmarks is crucial in helping to maintaining that reputation.”
But while free Wi-Fi is spreading throughout London -- Sky also offers hotspots at Overground stations -- the International Olympics Committee (IOC) has banned personal and private wireless access points from the games, going so far as to include them and 3G hubs on the list of items that will get you barred from any venue, alongside guns, knives, explosives, CS sprays, and toxic materials.
People will still be able to take smart devices like Android phones and iPads in with them though, and with the events drawing very large crowds it will be interesting to see how they intend to identify and stop people setting up their own hotspots should they choose to.
Photo Credit: London 2012 Olympic Games