O2 no longer to support BT Openzone

visidigi

morrison1984 wrote: »

I agree with all of this however there are a couple of key points to mention:
o2 wifi is free to everyone not just o2 customers where BT Openzone is not free to everyone.
There are 8000 o2 wifi hotspots. There are 4 million BT Openzone hotspots - If you believe the O2 marketing when they were promoting it as a perk.

According to this... http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-22728977

BT Openzone has five million hotspots but O2 says that only 4,200 of them were ever shared with its customers.

How convenient...one might say...

gjchester

visidigi wrote: »

How convenient...one might say...

As an Ex Fon person (before they got the deal with BT) that's probably because a lot of the 4 million are BT homehubs in peoples houses, and the signals not strong enough to get to a street where it can be used.

Even when you do find one it was 50/50 if you could log on and get a useable connection.

DUTR

Whilst you are all whining, could it only be me me thinking it has something more to do with the launch of O2 4G ?

SnowTiger

morrison1984 wrote: »

I agree with all of this however there are a couple of key points to mention:
o2 wifi is free to everyone not just o2 customers where BT Openzone is not free to everyone.
There are 8000 o2 wifi hotspots. There are 4 million BT Openzone hotspots - If you believe the O2 marketing when they were promoting it as a perk.

According to this BBC article, O2 customers only had access to 4,200 BT hotspots. I'm guessing the 4 million figure is the number of BT Internet customer's FON setups. Did O2 customers have access to those?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-22728977:

From 1 July customers of O2 will no longer have access to BT Openzone wi-fi hotspots around the UK, when a four-year deal between the two firms ends.

In an email to customers, O2 says its own network of more than 8,000 wi-fi hotspots will still be available in various shops and restaurant chains.

BT Openzone has five million hotspots but O2 says that only 4,200 of them were ever shared with its customers.

Jamie_Carter

morrison1984 wrote: »

I agree with all of this however there are a couple of key points to mention:
o2 wifi is free to everyone not just o2 customers where BT Openzone is not free to everyone.
There are 8000 o2 wifi hotspots. There are 4 million BT Openzone hotspots - If you believe the O2 marketing when they were promoting it as a perk.

That's only because you can sit outside someones house if they use BT, and log into openzone (on the rare occasions that it works). So useable hotspots are probably comparable in number.

Jamie_Carter

visidigi wrote: »

According to this... http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-22728977



How convenient...one might say...

I'd say that was probably true. I can't log in to most BT hotspots.

im-lost

gjchester wrote: »

The phone you have is unlikey to have cost £100, It was subsidised to give you the price of £100. Lets say it was an Iphone 4, they sell at £319 at Apple, so you got a subsidy of £219 on the phone. Thats what they are referring to.

Which is nonsense, they cant refer to visits if a phone when a contract m as key absolutely no reference to them.

If they say they will waive the termination fees, which is your remaining line rental, then you're effectively being allowed to leave without charge. The termination fees include a portion towards the subsidised handset, by waiving these, they are giving you the handset, even though it was yours from the outset anyway.

NiftyDigits

im-lost wrote: »

Which is nonsense, they cant refer to visits if a phone when a contract m as key absolutely no reference to them.

If they say they will waive the termination fees, which is your remaining line rental, then you're effectively being allowed to leave without charge. The termination fees include a portion towards the subsidised handset, by waiving these, they are giving you the handset, even though it was yours from the outset anyway.

Excuse me?

jenniewb

morrison1984 wrote: »

I agree with all of this however there are a couple of key points to mention:
o2 wifi is free to everyone not just o2 customers where BT Openzone is not free to everyone.
There are 8000 o2 wifi hotspots. There are 4 million BT Openzone hotspots - If you believe the O2 marketing when they were promoting it as a perk.

Wow!
You mention their marketing, I read this on their website earlier today. Somewhat economical with the 4 million hotspots, 4000 they recon:
Goodbye BT Openzone. Hello O2 Wifi

From 1 July 2013, as an O2 customer you'll need to use O2 Wifi hotspots to get online instead of hooking up to one of over 4,000 BT Openzone hotspot locations you may have used. Don't worry though, we have over 8,000 free O2 Wifi hotspots to choose from. With more popping up all the time. Take a look at our O2 Wifi hotspot directory to find out where they are.

Earthworm

I believe, correct me if I am wrong, that the majority of BT WiFi points are exclusive to BT Broadband customers. I thought that people who took the old Option 3 package automatically gave up their Home Hub as one of these spots which other BT Broadband customers could use... I think the mobile networks just got the additional spots such as the ones in city centres and the ones in phone boxes for example. I've never made use of them personally so it doesn't bother me too much.