BT unveils wireless plans

The British telecom giant BT has unveiled a set of new mobility initiatives that are expected to deliver additional revenues of £180 million a year by 2004/05 and could rise to £500 million a year in five years.

The mobility strategy focuses on delivering BT-branded mobile solutions and includes the launch of the UK’s first ever public access wireless local area network (LAN) - combining the flexibility of mobile devices with the speed and power of BT’s broadband network.

BT believes this initiative will help make the concept of ‘business agility’ a reality for corporate customers. Pierre Danon, chief executive officer for BT Retail, said: “We are already market leaders, with more than 20 per cent of subscribers among major business customers. Yet, since the demerger with mmO2, there has been a false assumption that, because we do not now physically own a network, we are somehow no longer in mobile.

"That could not be further from the truth. Our new initiatives will deliver cutting-edge, integrated services to our customers, consolidate our leadership position in the mobile solutions market and provide the answers for those companies wishing to improve their ‘agility’.”

Pierre confirmed that BT intends to build the UK’s first public access wireless LAN network with a national network of access points around key public sites such as hotels, railway stations, airports, bars and coffee shops – all within reach of business travellers, commuters and other users.

From June 2002 BT is also launching its new mobility services portfolio. This will bring a wide range of mobile products to business customers and create a new service provider business in the mobile market, giving BT business customers unified billing and customer service for the first time under the BT brand. (MB)