BT gets green light for wireless LAN

BT has got the go-ahead for its plans to deliver wireless internet access in coffee bars, motorway service stations and other public areas.

BT wants to build wireless "hotspots" where laptop users can connect to the internet using a wireless modem, while sipping a decaf mochaccino in a coffee bar, airport or motorway service station.

The service will use the 802.11b standard, already popular in airports and hotels in parts of the US and Scandinavia, and winning friends among UK corporates. Anyone with a 802.11b network card can connect their laptop to the internet using the service.

802.11b uses the 2.4GHz frequency which the government has recently opened for commercial exploitation. BT is now campaigning to get the 5.2GHz frequency used by the higher-speed 802.11a standard made available for public commercial use.

Costa Coffee and Welcome Break have already announced their intention to partner with BT to provide wireless LAN access. Welcome Break already has a trial running at its South Mimms service station.

The service will be launched to BT's corporate clients around June 20th. It will be made available to SMEs and private individuals with credit card billing in July.

802.11b is notoriously insecure, and BT will be providing a virtual private network, which is currently recommended by Intel and other vendors as the only secure way to use wireless LANs.