BTOpenzone Without BTFON?

Today I received an Email from BTBroadband informing me that:

"Your broadband comes with free access to BT FON and BT Openzone Wi-Fi hotspots. So you can get online for free when you�re out and about.

"Now we�ve made it easier for you to connect to BT FON and BT Openzone Wi-Fi hotspots with a new free mobile app for iPod Touch, iPhone and Android devices".

I'd never heard of BTFON but I was under the impression that you had to pay (about £5) to access BT Openzone Wi-Fi hotspots.

As I often want to connect to BT Openzone Wi-Fi hotspots with my iPod touch when I'm out and about, I downloaded the app but it doesn't show up in the iPod after syncing (although it's there in iTunes and everything's been updated).

Googling BTFON, I discovered that it's some mad system that allows anyone signed up to the scheme to use your HomeHub as a wireless hotspot whenever they feel like it.

There are posts on community.bt.com complaining about how the drain on bandwidth slows one's connection (to say nothing of the fact that anonymous users could be downloading anything from child pornography to terror manuals for which the account holder would presumably be held responsible).

So my question is this: Can I register to use BT Openzone Wi-Fi hotspots for free without opting into the BTFON scheme?

The Email helpfully suggests that:

"If you need any help with your BT FON app or setting up your BT Wi-Fi, please visit the BT store on the first floor of the Birmingham Bullring. We�re outside Costa, in front of Selfridges".

But rather than travelling 100 miles I'm hoping someone here can set me straight.

Thanks in advance.

So my question is this: Can I register to use BT Openzone Wi-Fi hotspots for free without opting into the BTFON scheme?

No.
http://www.btfon.com/support/faqs#point02

Googling BTFON, I discovered that it's some mad system that allows anyone signed up to the scheme to use your HomeHub as a wireless hotspot whenever they feel like it.

Not quite right - you can only use wi-fi bandwidth from hubs linked to FON - it can be switched on or off. The incentive for it being switched on is free use of wi-fi for the owner when roaming, and I believe the bandwidth involved is limited, dependant on the total amount available on the line.

You must have a Home Hub at your house and have opted in to BT FON to be able to use the hotspots as you have to log onto them using your BT account details. The bandwidth on your own Hub prioritises the owner of the Hub. When you are out and about with your laptop or i phone you can use any BT home hub within range provided the owner has opted in without effecting the owners bandwidth. The owner of the hub can not be held responsible for any outside use due to the log on method above, there are currently about 1,500,000 hotspots and growing.
I use this method of connecting when I'm at my parents, it's a lot quicker than any mobile dongle I have used.

FON users have to sign on, and its a different wireless link to your normal one, so FON can track people and trace them if the police come a knocking, in other words any illegal activity does not show up as your BT Total IP address

Further to my last, you do have to be a BT Broadband customer with your own HomeHub to use BT FON and on Option 1 and Option 2 you have limited minutes per month, up to 500 I think. On Option 3 you have unlimited minutes per month. It is worth mentioning that any new BT Total Broadband customers are automatically opted in to BT FON but you have the option to opt out.
I have never noticed a drop in performance from someone else logging on through my HomeHub, if indeed anyone ever has ( I live in a small village down a Cul de Sac) so it's not that likely. In my case the benefits, for me, are great.
I have tested the system by logging off from my HomeHub and logging back onto a close neighbours and the performance is no different. At least I know if anything went wrong with my Hub I can at least connect using a neighbours, I did the other night after a power cut had knocked my hub out of quilter. I admit I was a bit sceptical at first but opted in a few months back and for me it's brilliant.

Many thanks for all the replies correcting my hasty and alarmist assumptions.

I doubt if it's worth my while though. I only ever want to look up the price of a book on Amazon really.

Is there a downside? Is it easy to opt out if I decide to give it a try?

yes very,

infact i ony opt in when i know im going to be away from home travelling so i opt in get my free wifi whislt away then come home and opt out, all done via your routers controll pannell with links to the fon website takes upto 24hs to activate deactivate

Right, thanks.

When you're opted in is a portion of your bandwidth reserved/unavailable, regardless of whether or not anyone is using it at the time?

And is there an easy way to see whether or not any unknown devices are connected to your HomeHub?

As I say, for me, there are only pluses. I am stuck with BT where I live (not that I am complaining) as it's good and BT FON seems to be working very well. You can opt out at any time and not be disadvantaged for doing so. It costs nothing to opt in and you can use anyone else's Hub, where ever you are, the more people that opt in the better the service becomes.
I live in a small village with 715 residential users, most are on BT and I can connect wirelessly with my laptop virtually anywhere in the village, more importantly I can connect from friends and families houses as long as someone close by is on BT. Even on a weak signal I can get full use of Google Earth, I have tried doing that using a mobile dongle and it's worse than dial up.
I must admit I haven't read any reports of peoples speed dropping when others sign in using their Hub and in a large town or city it may be a problem (I haven't tried that yet) but will. My wife has an i phone and it connects quicker using BT FON than it does using 3G when away from the house. If the Police come knocking to arrest me for downloading something I shouldn't (not that I do) I may change my mind but I honestly don't think that can happen.