Poll: Wi-fi sharing not for everybody

When it comes to sharing home wi-fi, most silicon.com readers are reluctant to spread free wireless love.

Asked if they are happy to share their wi-fi, nearly half (46 per cent) of respondents to a reader poll said it is something they would never do.

This goes against the spirit of community wi-fi sharing organisation FON, which recently linked up with BT to provide 'Foneros' in the UK with access to thousands of free wi-fi hotspots. Foneros are BT broadband customers who agree to securely share their fat pipes with other members of the FON community.

Speaking at the time of the BT-FON tie-in announcement, managing director of BT Group, Consumer, Gavin Patterson, explained how the wi-fi sharing deal would work: "If [Total Broadband customers] are prepared to securely share a little of their broadband, they can share the broadband at hundreds of thousands of FON and BT Openzone hotspots today, without paying a penny."

Security is clearly a key issue when it comes to letting strangers piggyback on your wi-fi connection: close to half (41 per cent) of poll respondents said they would sometimes be prepared to share - but only if a secure login were used. This is much better news for BT and FON - provided they can get the message out that their shared wi-fi community is safe.

An unselfish - or some might say foolhardy - 10 per cent of poll respondents said they are always happy to share their wi-fi - and don't even password-protect it.

The poll also reveals how the concept of wi-fi has caught on: just three per cent of respondents admitted to being in the dark about what wireless broadband is.