UPD BT WiFi Bring FREE Wireless Internet to Prupim UK Shopping Centres

BT WiFi has signed a new deal with real-estate investment firm PRUPIM that will see eight of the United Kingdom’s biggest shopping centres deploying a free wireless internet (public wifi hotspot) service, which should reach more than 118 million shoppers.

The new wifi coverage, which will begin its roll-out with The Mall (Cribbs Causeway in Bristol) on 17th April 2013, should over the coming weeks also reach Manchester Arndale, The Brunswick Centre (Scarborough), The Grafton Centre (Cambridge), Cwmbran Shopping Centre, The Galleries (Tyne and Wear), Culver Square Shopping Centre (Colchester) and Rams Walk Shopping Centre (Petersfield).

Andy Baker, CEO of BTWi-fi, said:

“More and more shoppers are using wi-fi enabled devices to log onto the internet via BT Wi-fi. In fact, our research shows that 52% of people now use a tablet or smartphone when shopping.

We already operate the largest wi-fi network in the UK, with more than 4.5 million hotspots, and our new partnership with PRUPIM brings this valued service to an even bigger audience, offering even greater levels of service for shoppers enjoying a day out.”

It should perhaps be pointed out that the entire UK population in 2011 was about 63.2 million and thus we strongly suspect that BT’s 118 million figure refers to either total visitors or transactions per year, as opposed to unique individuals. We’ve asked BT for some clarification as the PR doesn’t offer much in the way of context.

UPDATE 10th April 2013

As expected the 118m figure is annual footfall.