French fixed and mobile operator Bouygues Telecom has confirmed its launch of a community Wi-Fi service using an installed base of 700,000 Bbox gateways in customer homes. Website BNews.fr reported on the new service allowing subscribers to Bbox, Ideo, Evasio.2 and Neo.4 plans to connect securely to the internet via Wi-Fi when they are within the range of a Bbox hotspot. The connection will cut off after 2 hours, but users will be able reconnect to continue their session. Bouygues Telecom is activating all of its Bboxes and subscribers can opt out by disactivating the hotspot function in the Bbox client area. However this means they will be unable to use other subscribers' hotspots. The operator assures customers that quality of service measures will apply to their own personal internet access to prevent the hotspot function from degrading their service. It adds that the service does not affect users' responsibility in case of illegal downloading by a third party, because it uses a different IP address managed by Bouygues Telecom. The hotspot network is completely separate from the domestic network. Spanish operator Fon was first to deploy a community Wi-Fi network in France, then Free and SFR did so. The Freebox network had over 3 million hotspots as of May 2009, reportedly the world's biggest community hotspot network. The other two French national operators, Orange and Numericable, have not introduced the concept. French mobile operators offer customers Wi-Fi through their own and partners' hotspot networks in public places such as libraries and train stations, and private hotels, restaurants, cates.
