Warning Issued to manufacturers as Wi-Fi hotspots are set up by BT

A warning has recently been issued to manufacturers who connect to broadband using BT that their buildings may have become Wi-Fi hotspots for the Internet without them giving permission to do so.

Checks will need to be made by any manufacturing companies who use BT for their broadband access following warnings that even though the companies haven’t given their permission, their building may have been turned into new Wi-Fi hotspots.

It was found that 20 000 of the telecoms giants’ business broadband users throughout the UK had recently been upgraded, and the Internet hubs of the upgraded businesses had been turned into a Wi-Fi hotspot for BT Openzone, according to Ulysses IT, a specialist manufacturing outsourced IT company.

Anyone will now have the ability to buy internet time for and connect to these hotspots and while no company data will be put at risk by people accessing the internet this way it is likely that internet access for these businesses could be slowed down, said Ken Manger from Ulysses IT.

Manger said “BT is not being very open about the way it is doing this. 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, as the source suggest, another 200 000 business users will probably have the same thing happen to them in the coming months it is worth noting that if it is noticed by an IT manager they do have the option of opting out of the hotspot service.

“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,” said Manger.