Nokia bringing free public Wi-Fi to all in London

The Gadget Show  Tuesday 01 November 2011

Public Wi-Fi is nothing new, but with pay as you go tariffs it often works out more expensive and less convenient than simply using your mobile phone’s 3G connection. Nokia and a company called Spectrum Interactive hope to change this, offering free Wi-Fi to all, starting off in London.

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You don’t even have to own a Nokia to use the planned Wi-Fi – which is set to run initially from now until the end of December. Unlike most public Wi-Fi networks, you won’t have to pay a penny – simply sign the terms and conditions, and off you go.

Granted, you’ll be better served if you do have a Nokia smartphone – as the Wi-Fi networks are set to appear on Nokia Maps. If you do manage to locate them on your iPhone or Android smartphone, however, you’ll still be welcome to join.

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Download speeds will be capped at 1Mbps, with 500Kbps upload speeds on offer. There will be 26 hotspots around London for the initial trial, in which Nokia “wants to see how it will be used”. With a bit of luck the technology won’t be restricted to London, either, with Nokia pointing out ““We’ll look at how we can take those opportunities to other cities in the world…it’s really looking at how we bring all that together”.

Via Electric Pig