BT to construct nationwide U.K. WLAN network
BT (British Telecom) is going to construct a nationwide wireless LAN network with 400 hot spots within a year and 4,000 hot spots within three years, according to CNN. [I'm posting this on Wednesday, but the date on the Weblog is Tuesday. I "flipped" the page on Tuesday, but didn't post anything then. I am not prescient about this story, which is dated April 10 on CNN's site!)
The CNN article doesn't say whether the network will be constructed in England or other areas of the U.K. The network could be operating by June. BT will start with 802.11b, add Bluetooth capability and then add the faster 802.11a protocol, according to CNN. BT would begin upgrading to 802.11a within 12 months.
The construction will cost less than 10 million pounds (1 pound = $1.44) per year. [As a comparison, 3G networks cost a couple of billion dollars or so to construct, not including the cost of the licenses. Of course, the coverage of cellular networks is far more extensive than BT's WLAN network, so you've got to be careful about any comparisons based upon price.]
BT said it was discussing implementation of hot spots with Britain's largest airport operator, BAA, as well as the Costa Coffee coffee shop chain. BT also is talking to Welcome Break, a "roadside restaurant and services operator," and other retailers, according to CNN.
BT is using equipment from Motorola and Cisco..
Will cellular operators ever learn?
"Following the adverse public reaction to the launch of WAP wireless Internet access, BT is conscious that users will not be sold a brand of jumbled numbers and letters," says CNN.
My comment: BT was one of the worst offenders in advertising WAP as wireless Internet. BT spend millions of pounds promoting WAP. The BT tagline on advertising materials, billboards and TV commercials was: "Surf the Net. Surf the BT Cellnet." [BT Cellnet is now called mmo2.]
BT and the rest of the cellular industry have themselves mostly to blame for the "adverse public reaction." Many cellular operators still are misleading the public. I just got back from Sao Paulo, Brazil, and at least one carrier there continues to advertise WAP as "the Internet in your palm." What bunk. Don't these dolts ever learn?
In the CNN article, BT was talking about WLAN speeds of 500K bps and coverage of about 100 meters (328 feet), which is pretty accurate. Subscribers certainly should get speeds in the hundreds of thousands of bits per second.
As part of its wireless strategy, BT also is reselling cellular service from mmo2, which it spun off when it was called BT Cellnet.
BT is joining several other cellular operators around the world, such as VoiceStream, Sprint PCS and Telia, that are directly or indirectly involved in 802.11 service. Every major cellular operator in the U.S. is studying the potential of entering the nationwide WLAN business. I would be amazed if VoiceStream and Sprint were the only U.S. cellular operators involved in WLANs.....and I don't expect to be amazed.
8:33:13 PM 
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