Common questions about BT Openzone

General questions about BT Openzone

What is Wi-Fi and wireless broadband?

Wi-Fi is 'wireless fidelity' or 'wireless network'. It's a great way to connect your wireless device to the internet without using wires (e.g. in wireless-enabled locations, you don't need a phone line to surf the internet).

'Wireless broadband' gives you Wi-Fi connectivity to the internet at speeds up to 8Mb - faster than standard dial-up or 3G access.

Back to top

What is BT Openzone?

BT Openzone is a wireless broadband (Wi-Fi) service that you can access in public places (hotspots) such as airports, hotels, coffee shops, motorway service stations and city centres. Get online at BT Openzone hotspots throughout the UK and the Republic of Ireland, and at selected locations outside the UK

Back to top

Why choose BT Openzone?

BT Openzone gives you broadband internet access1 with speeds up to 8Mb. That's faster than both GPRS and 3G. Plus you can easily get online in convenient locations such as cafés, hotels, stations, airports and city centres. And you can choose from lots of big businesses also offering our BT Openzone service - including Starbucks, RoadChef, Hilton Hotels, Thistle Hotels and Welcome Break.

Back to top

Why choose BT Openzone (Wi-Fi) over GPRS and 3G?

With BT Openzone, you get more done in less time - and there are no download limits. A Fair Use Policy applies to customers with BT Openzone Together and BT Openzone Global accounts. Wi-Fi is efficient and fast, especially if you need to transfer large data files, such as music or video download and data-heavy or image-rich documents. But please remember that your recipient's email account may limit the amount of data accepted. We suggest that you limit emails and attachments to 10MB.

Back to top

Becoming a BT Openzone partner

Why should I become a BT Openzone partner?

Becoming a BT Openzone partner can:

• attract new customers
• increase footfall
• increase existing customer loyalty
• increase income
• improve your customers' experience

More about becoming a BT Openzone partner

Back to top

Can any organisation become a BT Openzone partner?

If your organisation has an area that's accessible to customers, visitors or the public, and you want to allow access to Wi-Fi on your premises, you can apply to become a BT Openzone partner.

More about becoming a BT Openzone partner

Back to top

What do I need to do to become a BT Openzone partner?

You need your own Wi-Fi network that we can extend to allow public access or, if you prefer, we can Wi-Fi enable your premises so you can offer your customers internet access.

More about becoming a BT Openzone partner

Back to top

What speed can I offer as a BT Openzone partner?

You should be able to offer up to 8Mb download speed. That's faster than both GPRS and 3G.

Back to top

Is there a download limit?

No. Wireless broadband is perfect for uploading or downloading large files at high speed. Usage is based on time rather than data transfer amount. But please remember that a recipient's email account may limit the amount of data accepted. We suggest that you limit emails and attachments to 10MB. A Fair Use Policy may also apply to users depending on their package.

Back to top

Do wireless local area networks (WLANs) present a threat to health?

International authorities have examined the large volume of research on radio frequencies, such as those emitted by WLANs. They have concluded that radio frequencies do not pose a health risk as long as radio frequency emissions fall below certain levels. The International Committee on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP), a body of independent scientific experts that monitors and analyses all research into this area, has issued guidelines on what these safety levels should be. Their guidelines, which include a large safety margin as a precautionary measure, have been adopted by the UK government, the wireless LAN industry and BT, and are recognised as the standard for safety by the World Health Organization.

There is no credible evidence that the extremely low exposure levels from WLANs pose a threat to human health. The World Health Organization has issued a fact sheet regarding base stations and wireless networks, and its conclusions were: "Considering the very low exposure levels and research results collected to date, there is no convincing scientific evidence that the weak RF [radio frequency] signals from base stations and wireless networks cause adverse health effects."

Back to top

How can my visitors tell when they're in range of my BT Openzone Wi-Fi hotspot?

BT Openzone wireless coverage can be found wherever you see a BT Openzone sign. If your visitors have a device with wireless network (WLAN) connectivity and a username and password, they'll be able to access BT Openzone once they've opened their web browser, enabled their wireless LAN settings and found the BT Openzone SSID.

Back to top

How do my visitors connect to their company network?

Once logged in to BT Openzone in your Wi-Fi hotspot, your visitors should simply minimise their web browser, launch their virtual private network (VPN) and log in. When they've finished: quit their VPN first and then log out of BT Openzone before closing their browser.

Note: they must log out correctly, otherwise their account will stay open and they'll have to pay charges for a further 15 minutes. Accounts automatically shut down due to inactivity after 15 minutes.

Back to top

I want to start a BT Openzone hotspot. What should I do?

Email us and tell us your:

• name, address, phone number
• type of business (e.g. coffee shop)
• total number of sites
• type of site (e.g. shop)
• how many people you think may want to access the internet in your hotspot at any given time

More about becoming a BT Openzone partner

Back to top