|
MUMBAI:
UK pucaster The BBC has become the first UK broadcaster to have
all of its online content made available free via Wi-Fi. The non-exclusive
venture enables the public to access all bbc.co.uk content for
free through the UK's largest network of hotspots, operated by
The Cloud.
The
7,500 hotspots are located at a multitude of locations across
the UK, including McDonald's, Coffee Republic and BAA airports
(Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted), as well as a number of outdoor
locations including Canary Wharf and the City of London.
Users
will be able to access bbc.co.uk via an interactive video highlighting
a range of content available or via a BBC logo, both of which
are located on The Cloud's landing site.
BBC
director of future media and technology Ashley Highfield
said,
"We are delighted to be partnering with The Cloud in what
we hope is the first of many such partnerships across the UK.
This is a new environment for the BBC and one which we believe
will be hugely important for our future success.
"This
venture enables us to offer free Wi-Fi access to BBC content on
the high street, furthering the BBC's commitment to make its content
as widely available as possible to our audiences wherever they
are. For instance, they can catch up on Strictly Come Dancing
while having a caffe latte in Coffee Republic."
The
Cloud group director of business development Owen Geddes says,
"Wi-Fi is emerging as the technology of choice for media
and content owners wanting to extend their reach beyond traditional
channels.
"The
explosion of media-capable devices, coupled with the high bandwidth
and low cost Wi-Fi offers, means high-quality video and audio
can be delivered to people wherever they are. The Cloud is leading
the market, working with visionary thinkers like the BBC, in bringing
content over wireless broadband to the mass market."
In
this initial phase, visitors to bbc.co.uk via The Cloud network
will be able to view BBC content on all Wi-Fi compatible devices.
However, users will only be able to download programmes from BBC
iPlayer via a laptop.
In
due course it is expected that the service will be available via
mobile phones and other smart handheld devices.
|