Be Broadband turns back on Digital Economy Bill

Be Broadband is the latest ISP to publicly distance itself from the Digital Economy Bill and the anti-piracy measures suggested within. Be Broadband is concerned that the proposals are “open to errors,” and that there is a “risk that innocent customers could be penalised.”

Be Broadband lists a number of potential scenarios which highlight the problems posed by the bill.

Internet cafes, pubs and coffee shops which offer Wi-Fi (such as Starbucks) “would find the time or cost burden unworkable.” An entire household of people living in shared accommodation – students for example – could see themselves disconnected over the actions of just one housemate.

A wireless connection could be hijacked if the router was hacked into or left unsecured, allowing a third party to illegally download thousands of files for which the owner would take the rap.

Like many critics of the bill, Be Broadband is worried about the apparent “lack of technical understanding” and points to a more creative approach to combat illegal downloading.

Earlier this year it was suggested that the rise in popularity of sites and applications such as Spotify, YouTube and Last.fm had helped cut illegal downloading over the last two years.

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Starbucks offers even more free Wi-Fi

You want some complimentary Wi-Fi to go with your protein-enriched walnut flake sprinkled grande cappuccino? Starbucks has just announced yet another free Wi-Fi deal which will see even more customers able to sit, sip and surf in the comfy confines of their local ‘bucks branch.

Every registered Starbucks Card holder can claim free BT Openzone Wi-Fi access at any of the 678 coffee houses in the UK and the Republic of Ireland. Starbucks Cards can be used to claim other free rewards from the world conquering coffee chain, including extra whipped cream, soy milk, a free coffee on your birthday, as well as free wireless. Eligible Starbucks Card holders can sign up online by pointing their browsers at www.starbucks.co.uk and shelling out £5.

BT first announced its partnership with Starbucks back in April this year.

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O2 bring Wi-Fi for iPhones and Mobile Broadband at Starbucks

You want some complimentary Wi-Fi to go with your iPhone and vanilla low carb mocha? Well thanks to O2 and BT Broadband you can.

Further to the announcement that all Starbucks outlets across the UK and Ireland are to be fully furnished with Wi-Fi networks courtesy of BT Openzone comes the news that iPhone owners and O2 Mobile Broadband customers will also be able to surf for free whilst slurping a skinny latte.

As of now, iPhone owners can hop on to the internet using a Starbucks/BT Openzone connection for free, whilst O2 Mobile Broadband customers will be able to surf gratis from a yet to be specified date in the summer – more on this as and when we hear it.

Until then, O2 Mobile Broadband customers can sign up for access to BT Openzone hot spots for £7.34 a month.

The good news for iPhone owners is that you can now sit and sip with your iPhone and get back to that novel you’ve been working on, after installing the ‘WriteBook’ app…

BT Bring Wireless Broadband to Starbucks

You want some complimentary Wi-Fi to go with your low fat hazelnut sprinkling-topped soya grande latte? Well thanks to BT Broadband you can.

Thanks to a deal done with coffee giants Starbucks, you can now slurp ‘n surf in any of the 678 coffee houses in the UK and the Republic of Ireland. Yes, there’s really that many Starbucks here.

“Starbucks is the perfect place to work or catch up over email,” says Chris Bruce CEO of BT Openzone, the Wi-Fi arm of the broadband market leaders.

“Use of our Wi-Fi doubled last year and coffee shops are increasingly popular as a third place to work or log on to the internet. We’re constantly looking to boost the choice of places to connect – where people want it. The location of Starbucks stores in the high street and travel hubs is helping to extend the reach of Wi-Fi to customers.”

BT Broadband Options 1 and 2 give you 250 and 350 Wi-Fi minutes per month respectively, with the high end Option 3 package giving you unlimited Wi-Fi minutes.

These allow you to surf the web on your laptop at any of the BT Openzone Wi-Fi hotspots, including the ones just set up in every Starbucks in the British Isles. Now you can sit and sip with your laptop and get back to that screenplay/novel you’ve been meaning to work on.