Fibre Broadband providers with wifi hotspots

Does anyone know if EE provide access to BT's free wifi hotspots via their residential FTTC plans? I cant find anything on the EE which says they do even though they say they use BT engineers to install their service to your home.

This suggests they dont but, a google query returned an EE help page telling you how to connect to BT hotspots.

I know Plusnet dont currently provide access to BT hotspots although they said they were 'investigating' this option.

I would use sky but their Cloud option doesnt have the same coverage plus you have to plug all your sky boxes in to the phone line for the duration of the contract. And I dont want to do that!

So far, it looks like only the BT option is a goer.

Thanks

All ISPs "use BT engineers to install their service to your home".

This is true for both ADSL and FTTC - only Virgin cable and WiFi providers avoid this.

It seems very, very unlikely that EE should provide access to the BT access points - this is something that mobile phone networks povide there own.

I have access to the BT hotspots as I have a BT Infinity connection but find it of little practical value as the areas covered are generally in areas of good mobile coverage and my mobile plan has all you can eat data.

The comment about SKY is not stricty accurate. If you have SKY TV then all the boxes must be connected to the telephone line IF YOU HAVE MULTI-ROOM. If you just have a single SKY box this requirement has never been enforced and is no longer required beyond the first installation when the box "phones home" to pair the card. The grand plans to provide data services over the phone line came to little and I believe the company who were going to supply them are no longer involved. My SKY box has never been connected.

In reply to a post by greenglide:

All ISPs "use BT engineers to install their service to your home".

This is true for both ADSL and FTTC - only Virgin cable and WiFi providers avoid this.

It seems very, very unlikely that EE should provide access to the BT access points - this is something that mobile phone networks povide there own.

I have access to the BT hotspots as I have a BT Infinity connection but find it of little practical value as the areas covered are generally in areas of good mobile coverage and my mobile plan has all you can eat data.

The comment about SKY is not stricty accurate. If you have SKY TV then all the boxes must be connected to the telephone line IF YOU HAVE MULTI-ROOM. If you just have a single SKY box this requirement has never been enforced and is no longer required beyond the first installation when the box "phones home" to pair the card. The grand plans to provide data services over the phone line came to little and I believe the company who were going to supply them are no longer involved. My SKY box has never been connected.

Thanks. My comment about sky is true as it relates to sky's current T&C's which have been in force for a long time. And I think you'll find whenever you take a new upgraded subscription with sky, they demand all boxes be plugged into a phone socket for the 12 month duration of any contract. Thereafter the box or boxes may be disconnected from the phone line.

For example, you have sky first install. Your box must be attached to the phone line for the 12 month contract. Thereafter you can disconnect. 18 months after your first sky install date, you upgrade to 2 multiroom boxes. All boxes (3) must be plugged into the phone socket for 12 month of contract ie original install box and however multiroom boxes are installed at this time.

6 months after your 12 month multiroom contract expires, you upgrade to sky bundle of broadband (inc FTTC), calls and tv. Sky demand all boxes be attached to phone socket for first 12 month of the new contract.

I queried this with sky customer services as I didnt see why the boxes needed to be attached to the phone line again being a potential cause of interference. They said it's as per contract. Any new or upgrade contract you take out, all existing boxes must be attached to a phone line.

Im aware some people say their boxes has never been connected to a line. They are the exception rather than the rule. Sky require boxes to be connected to a phone line not just to pair the card but to ensure the box or boxes are still at the location installed at and not being used in a pub or sold on to 3rd paries over and above sky subscription rates. During the 12 month period of any new contract, the box is regularly 'pinged' to confirm it is connected as required. If it is not, you can expect a call from sky and potentially a disconnection of service.

I'd say you were fortunate not to fall foul of these requirements but all systems have their faults!

If you upgrade your sky package now they will insist on your box being plugged into a live phone socket.

All you can eat data mobile internet is good but still relatively expensive, even on 3 or giff gaff. The connection rate on 3G \ 4G internet is still slower than wi fi hotspots such as BT or the Cloud.

Was reading somewhere that the requirement for a single box to be connected has now been removed, which was pretty much confirmed by the engineer installing the box - for Multiroom subscriptions it is still a requirement.

In reply to a post by ayeaye:

Was reading somewhere that the requirement for a single box to be connected has now been removed,

But you need it for Box Office orders.

In reply to a post by wobblyheed:

Does anyone know if EE provide access to BT's free wifi hotspots via their residential FTTC plans?

I signed up with Fon (www.fon.com) which gives me access to BT hotspots. It means having an active Fonera router and your connection also becomes a public hotspot but it's not an issue as far as I'm concerned. The max throughput from the public side is only 500 Kbps.

I was trying to think of Fon last night when I saw this thread, my brother will be pleased to know you can access the BT hotspots, he liked the idea but doesn't want to sign up to BT, the Fon device would be better option.