Manufacturers warned as BT sets up Wifi hotspots

Specialist manufacturing outsourced IT company Ulysses IT says it has found out that the telecoms giant has recently upgraded 20,000 of its business broadband customers around the UK – and that the upgrade turns the business’s Internet hub into a BT Openzone wifi hotspot. Ken Manger from Ulysses IT says means total strangers can connect to and buy internet time – and that while they won’t be able to access company data, there’s a chance they could slow down the business Internet access. “BT is not being very open about the way it is doing this,” says Manger. “It is doing the upgrade and burying this news halfway down an email to customers. We think they should be asking their customers to opt-in to a service like this, rather than rely on them spotting it and opting out.” If IT managers do notice, they can opt out of being a hotspot – a point worth noting if sources suggestions that another 200,000 customers are due to get the treatment in the next few months. Says Manger: “BT is trying to earn twice as much money for a service it is already being paid for by the business owner. We highly recommend you switch the hotspot off. If a number of strangers connect to your broadband, you could have slower internet speed.”