PR releases

Speedy wireless surfing - now open on Scottish canals

Sailors on Scotland’s canals and visitors to its towpaths can now use high speed wireless broadband (Wi-Fi) at thirteen canal-side locations, following a new agreement between BT Openzone and British Waterways Scotland.

From the Bowling Basin in the Lowlands to Dochgarroch East, the thirteen hotspots provided and managed by BT Openzone will provide easy to use Wi-Fi connectivity. The coverage along the Caledonian, Crinan, Union and Forth & Clyde canals, will give a robust, quality internet service to areas, including the Scottish Highlands, which have previously have been known to experience patchy mobile reception.

The Caledonian Canal in particular has over 1,300 transiting boats each year, half of which sail from Scandinavia and Northern Europe. An additional 24 million annual visitors also visit Scottish canal towpaths. These outdoor enthusiasts will now be able to check emails, log onto their corporate network, send their holiday snaps and make VoIP calls to family and friends back home from any Wi-Fi enabled device.

Richard Millar from British Waterways Scotland said: "We are pleased to be able to offer our customers this additional service at various locations on our canals. These new services will greatly benefit everyone who visits, lives or works close to the canal. The introduction of high speed internet access across Scotland’s canals further demonstrates our commitment to making Scottish canals accessible to all and is part of an on–going strategy to open up the canals to more users. These Wi-Fi hotspots will widen the opportunities the canal has to offer our users and services we provide."

Chris Bruce, BT Openzone general manager, said: "BT has a strong affiliation with the sailing through our support of Dame Ellen McArthur and the BT Global Challenge. We also deliver Wi-Fi access to another 35 coastal and inland marinas in the UK and Jersey, and BT Openzone was available to visitors to this year’s Plymouth Transact. We’re delighted to offer Wi-Fi to Scotland’s sailors."

A wide range of BT Openzone voucher and subscription payment options will be made available to subscribers offering them greater flexibility and cost control. On or off the water, BT wireless broadband is available at more than 3,000 UK & Ireland BT Openzone hotspots including extensive coverage over 12 city centres, railway stations, airports, hotel chains, coffee shops and marinas, plus the hotspots provided by the BT FON Wi-Fi community, now with more than 121,000 members.

International users can choose from more than 40,000 locations through agreements with roaming partners. These provide BT Openzone, BT FON, BT Total Broadband Anywhere, BT ToGo and BT Office Anywhere customers or casual users with a comfortable location to log in, without wires. For more BT Openzone information or to buy a voucher, visit www.btopenzone.com

Installations are scheduled to appear at the following locations and in this order:

Lowland Canals
Bowling Basin
Glasgow, Applecross St.
Auchinstarry
Linlithgow
Ratho
Crinan Canals
Ardrishaig
Crinan Basin
Caledonian Canals
Corpach
Laggan Top
Gairlochy
Fort Augustus Top Basin
Dochgarroch West
Dochgarroch East

About BT
BT is one of the world’s leading providers of communications solutions and services operating in 170 countries. Its principal activities include the provision of networked IT services globally; local, national and international telecommunications services to our customers for use at home, at work and on the move; broadband and internet products and services and converged fixed/mobile products and services. BT consists principally of four lines of business: BT Global Services, Openreach, BT Retail and BT Wholesale.

In the year ended 31 March 2008, BT Group plc’s revenue was £20,704 million with profit before taxation and specific items of £2,506 million.

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