Mobile broadband Guide

UK wireless hotspots

The UK has thousands of wireless hotspots that let you get online in coffee shops, hotels and train stations across the country.

Wireless hotspots are a convenient way to get online. There are paid-for and free hotspots all across the country, and if you're a mobile broadband customer you might even have wifi minutes included as part of your deal - letting you to get online without using up your precious mobile broadband allowance.

Hotspots are great because you get a fast, reliable and you're not restricted by the low download limits offered by mobile broadband. All you need to get online is a wireless enabled device such as a laptop, netbook or even an iPod Touch or a PSP.

T-Mobile wireless hotspots

T-Mobile Broadband's (www.T-Mobile.co.uk) hotspot network covers more than 30,000 locations across the country, including all BAA airports, most branches of Starbucks and Cafe Nero as well as many hotels and train stations.

All of the provider’s mobile broadband customers receive inclusive hotspot minutes of part of their packages, and T-Mobile also offers a range of options for mobile phone customers and non-customers, including unlimited packages, pay per hour, day or month vouchers and pay as you go usage that can be charged direct to your T-Mobile phone bill.

BT Openzone wireless hotspots

BT Broadband's (www.BT.com) Openzone wireless service offers thousands of hotspots across the UK and many more international destinations. It offers subscriptions for regular users and UK and international minutes for occasional customers.

BT Openzone and Broadband customers can also access the BT Fon network, a constantly growing network of BT Total Broadband customers willing to share a section of their private home internet connection.

This boost to the BT hotspot network means that BT Broadband and BT Openzone customers can access the internet at over 190,000 locations in the UK and Ireland and hundreds of thousands of points globally.

Orange wireless hotspots

Because it partners with wifi operators such as BT and Hilton hotels, Orange Mobile Broadband (www.Orange.co.uk) wireless network covers over 40,000 locations throughout the world.

Selected Orange mobile broadband customers get inclusive wifi minutes as part of their package, while other customers can buy minutes on a pay per use basis or pay a set fee for an hour's access.

O2 wireless hotspots

O2 Mobile Broadband (www.O2.co.uk) offers free hotspot internet access to its mobile broadband customers, with pay per use vouchers available for 30 minutes, one hour, two hour, four hours, one week and one month periods.

Since signing a deal with BT in June 2009 to add over 1,500 hotspots to its network, including Starbucks coffee shops, O2 has boosted its network to over 7,500 locations across the country.