Mobile operator O2 UK has today signed a new "landmark" deal that will provide visitors to and residents of Westminster, Kensington and Chelsea (central London) with access to the largest free Wi-Fi (wireless broadband) internet access zone in Europe.

The deal between O2, Westminster City Council and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, which is to see the operators metro wireless networking kit being installed on street furniture, will apparently not cost the councils or the taxpayer any money.


O2 announced that they planned to build their own FREE Wi-Fi Hotspot (O2 Wifi) service one year ago (here). The move followed BSkyB's ( Sky Broadband ) acquisition of The Cloud , which O2 had initially been using for a similar service.

The new platform will start rolling out in central London this month, albeit only to a "limited number of areas". A wider deployment throughout the boroughs will occur "over the longer term". It's hoped that the move will help access during the forthcoming 2012 Olympic Games, although there's hardly a shortage of Wi-Fi Hotspots in London.