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Nokia Give London Free Wi-Fi
- BBC News, Tuesday, November 1, 2011 12:46 PM
We haven’t been this jealous of our friends in London since they were awarded the 2012 Olympics. Struggling to protect its once-eminent brand, Nokia just began a trial of a free wi-fi service in central London, BBC News reports.
As such, through the end of the year, Londoners will be able to use the high-speed service in certain parts of the city courtesy of the Finnish phone maker. If it considers the two-month trial a success, the company then plans to turn it into a full-fledged free wi-fi service early in 2012, according to BBC News.
"The trial is going to help us understand what people are using it for so we can improve it in the future," said Craig Hepburn, Nokia's director of digital and social media.
Per the trial, Nokia has reportedly set up 26 hotspots to support the service, which are largely concentrated around West End shopping areas. Victoria, Marylebone and Westminster will also get access points, according to the BBC. The offer is also the largest such project ever attempted by Nokia, which says it is considering repeating the exercise in cities in Africa and India where telecoms infrastructure is poor. Alas, no word on New York.
