Sky Broadband Study Names Leeds City as WiFi Capital of the UK

ISP Sky Broadband (BSkyB) has today published new research into the wireless internet (Hotspot) usage in 10 of the UK’s biggest cities, which found that 22% of people in Leeds have used public WiFi in the past 24 hours. That’s twice the national average (11%) and above London’s result of 20% (Manchester and Birmingham scored 13% each).

Nationally 24% of people were found to have used public WiFi in the past week and 41% in the past month, usually in places like cafes and restaurants (used by 32%), pubs and bars (used by 19%) or public spaces and shopping centres (used by 10%). The majority (54%) use the service simply to check and send emails.

Lyssa McGowan, Sky’s Director of Communications Products, said:

“As our findings show, WiFi is now part and parcel of everyday life. More and more of us want to get online outside the home and do it with the speed and convenience that only WiFi brings, whether it’s a video with your cappuccino, catching up on emails while waiting for your train, or keeping yourself occupied while being dragged round the shops with your partner.

That’s one reason why we’re dedicated to giving our customers easy access to our unlimited broadband services wherever and whenever they need them. We’re delighted to be able to bring The Cloud WiFi Hotspots to our customers around Britain – it certainly looks like they’ll be making the most of it.”

The news is also designed to mark the recent launch of Sky’s free WiFi service. All Sky Broadband customers are eligible to use Hotspots from The Cloud and they do not have to be a Sky TV customer to benefit. The research itself was conducted by Vision Critical with 2,829 UK adults during March 2012.