BT on track to deliver 500,000 wi-fi hotspots for Olympic Games

BT has confirmed that it is on track to have 500,000 wi-fi hotspots across the capital in time for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. 

The telco, which is also the official communication services partner for the Games, has said that there could be more ‘potential’ wi-fi users in any one place, than any other event before. 

It is hoped that a dense wi-fi network across the Olympic park will ease congestion on the mobile phone networks, as it is expected that this will be the most data-intensive Games yet. In Beijing 20 percent of the traffic on the network was video and 80 percent was other data, whilst in London this is set to change to 80 percent video and 20 percent other data. 

There will be approximately 1,000 access points across nine Olympic venues, including the Olympic Stadium, the Aquatics Centre, the Velodrome and across all public areas of the Olympic Park in East London. 

“This is fantastic news for the millions of visitors coming to the capital to enjoy this incredible summer of sport, but even better news for London’s businesses who will continue to reap the benefits of this boost to the city’s ever-expanding digital infrastructure long after the Games are over,” said Boris Johnson, Mayor of London. 

Access to the network will be free for BT broadband customers, whilst those wishing to purchase wi-fi vouchers will be able to do so online. 

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