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BT eyes deal with startup FON for Wi-Fi boost | Technology | Internet | Reuters.co.uk

This is very good news for Fon, and also for BT.

A deal would mean that BT customers will start sharing access to their home Wi-Fi networks, and its BT Fusion mobile customers can make cheap calls from their phones when they are in the vicinity of one of these Wi-Fi “hotspots”. A deal between the two will be an unprecedented endorsement from a large European telecoms operator for FON’s ambitious business model that seeks to turn millions of private home Wi-Fi networks into public wireless “hotspots”.

This means that BT would then be changing their AUP for home users. Currently it is against most ISPs AUPs to share their Internet connection, something of course that did not put a stop to “technical” users sharing their connections, but it will make a difference to the less technical users. Alot of people are worried about “breaking the law/rules”.

BT Fusion users, who have mobile phones that can connect to a short-range wireless Wi-Fi network as well as the cell phone network, could use their phones on the home networks of around 250,000 global FON members, which it calls “foneros”, 10,000 of them are already in Britain.

This is an interesting point-would BT have some agreement with a cellphone operator to allow this WiFi roaming.

BT home broadband users could use this service, once they have a WiFi enabled mobile phone. Of course, this would be good news for Nokia if they can make some extra sales!

But the sources said BT’s talks with FON involve relaxing the restriction on sharing bandwidth, which could help FON vastly increase its network of foneros in Britain.

“BT has the ability to remotely add software to its broadband routers. They are going to push FON software on to the routers and ask users whether they want to roaming-enable their router,” said one source, who asked not to be identified.

This would be an interesting thing. Will Fon be releasing firmware for more routers than their La Fonera? Or will they adapt the Fonera?

Anyway, congrats Martín and the whole Fon team. Also, Happy Birthday. Have a zurrito on me.

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