UK carrier O2, which is owned by Telefonica, has launched a new freely accessible public Wi-Fi network across the the UK.
The new Wi-Fi platform will be called O2 Wifi.
According to the company the new O2’s premium hotspots will be managed through partnerships with key venue owners and will be open for all users to access for free, no matter which mobile or broadband provider they are with.
The company said that it is aiming to create a scaled Wi-Fi platform and it will begin rollout immediately by replacing its existing 450 Cloud hotspots in its retail and office estate.
Access to the hotspots will be through a simple sign-up process and will be free to both O2 and non-O2 mobile users.
The sign up process will be auto provisioned for all O2 customers with Wi-Fi devices by the end of the year, the company said.
The company claims all hotspots will be premium public hotspots, as opposed to using residential connections with limited bandwidth.
O2’s new business development director Tim Sefton said building networks is a core capability. O2 Wifi hotspots will bring high quality public Wi-fi access to the majority of mobile users.
"O2 is integrating new layers of technology into the existing network to enable a seamless and sustained customer experience," Sefton said.
"We are technology-agnostic and driven entirely by our user needs. We believe that services should be delivered in the best possible way, across multiple networks, supported by different technologies.
