British Library Becomes London's Largest, Most Popular Hotspot (They Say).
There probably is little fear of contradiction that with 1,200 Wi-Fi
sessions per week, the British Library's Wi-Fi network is the most
popular (and largest) in London: The library officially launched its
Wi-Fi service today through its 11 reading rooms, conference
auditorium, cafe, restaurant, and outdoor area. The Cloud is operating
the service, providing pay-as-you-go service and allowing roaming with
its many partners. HP was involved in the build-out, although the press
release is vague. The library has 3,000 visitors per day, and a survey
they conducted found 86 percent of them were laptop owners; many left
the library to find nearby Internet access. The library expects its
service will be even more popular than the current 1,200 sessions per
week with this formal announcement, and the near-term completion of a
rail link that will bring people at high speed from the Continent
practically to the library's front door. People with no interest in
research will likely use the library as a hotspot; The Cloud's
increasing portfolio of partners should encourage that trend. (16
percent of library visitors already use it as a place to sit and work,
rather than a place to research.) This ZDNet article has a few more
details, such as the £4.95 pay-as-you-go rate, but doesn't note that
The Cloud's roaming partner subscribers will have inclusive access, as
the press release does. The political backstory is that the library was
ready to have its formal launch in September, but government cabinet
shuffling delayed the opening…. [Wi-Fi Networking News]