O2 Rolling Out Free WiFi Across London

Getting online during the Olympics in London will probably be a chore thanks to the jammed mobile networks, but companies are doing their best to roll out free WiFi across the city. Recently, Virgin equipped multiple Tube stations with free WiFi access on platforms, and now O2 has announced that it will be rolling out free WiFi access outdoors in certain parts of the city.

Typically O2 offers WiFi access to those that subscribe to its service plans, but this latest WiFi scheme is open to anyone. Users simply need only sign up with an email address to receive free access that will be available in multiple parts of the city, including Piccadilly Circus, Leicester Square, Regent Street, Exhibition Road, and High Street Kensington. There's no word on if the company plans to do the same closer to the Olympic Stadium.

The service may be free for now, but O2 hasn't indicated what will happen to the hotspots in the future. The company could pull them altogether, or begin charging for access, but we'd hope they remain active for the foreseeable future. Virgin, meanwhile, is currently offering free access on the Tube, but has dropped hints that users will be charged for access sometime later this year. Still, it's faster than most people's home broadband, so maybe it really is worth the price of admission.

[via Pocket-Lint]