Posted: 30th Oct, 2007 By: MarkJ
Broadband wireless
Hotspot provider BTOpenzone has today announced the launch of its new
Wi-Fi travel vouchers scheme, which is designed to offer travellers cheaper and more predictable communications costs when abroad:
The vouchers, the first of their kind, allow travellers to access data and make voice calls via thousands of hotspots globally. By using
Wi-Fi, the vouchers allow travellers at participating hotspots to download data and make voice calls quicker and cheaper than via international roaming with GPRS, 3G and GSM. By paying a fixed voucher price, travellers can predict their communications spend when abroad and avoid hidden roaming charges. Travellers also benefit from paying the same price for
Wi-Fi access no matter which participating country they visit.
The travel vouchers give travellers 500 minutes for £28 in the US and for £40 in Europe. This averages out at 5.6p a minute and 8p a minute respectively, which represents an even bigger saving for travellers than the 34p per minute price cap for mobile voice roaming imposed by the European Commission earlier this year.
Data downloads, which are not covered by the recent EC ruling, can often cost over £10 per megabyte when abroad. By using this voucher, this cost can be slashed to around 12p in the Americas and 16p in Europe.
http://www.btopenzone.comTwo versions of the voucher are available. A European version BTOpenzone 500 Europe - covers France, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, Switzerland, the Netherlands and Denmark. For the Americas, BTOpenzone Americas 500 covers the USA, Canada, Brazil, Argentina.
These vouchers may also be used throughout the UK and Ireland. BTOpenzone 500 Europe costs £40 and allows travellers 500 minutes of
Wi-Fi within 14 days of first log-in. BTOpenzone Americas 500 costs £28 and allows travellers 500 minutes of
Wi-Fi within 7 days of first log-in. Because it is a voucher, there are no monthly subscription charges to pay.
The announcement comes as BT strikes a new deal with iBahn, adding an extra 1,200 hotels to the existing 9,600 hotels worldwide where BTOpenzone customers can access
Wi-Fi. The iBahn network goes live in November.