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back to article BT Fusion rises again

Son of Fusion is here - BT has launched what it's calling "Total Broadband Anywhere", with Windows Mobile handsets from HTC and membership of BT's FON network. Last time we discussed Fusion with BT they told us it was far from dead, and while this new offering might lack the Fusion branding, it's clearly offering much the same …

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  1. Mike Crawshaw
    Thumb Down

    Also includes!

    Not to mention a full-version Phormware application embedded into the handset, listening to your conversations and occasionally interrupting with "You said 'BT are fuckers', would you like to hear some adverts for other services available from BT? Say 'OK' to continue."

    But they don't know who you are* (terms and conditions apply. Words used do not describe the service, including phrases such as 'unlimited'. Please see website for full details. When stating we do not know who you are, that does not imply we can't find out, but we're not going to tell you that.), so that's ok. And it keeps you safe from people who might otherwise listen to your conversation whilst sat next to you on the train. Really.

    Cynical about anything from BT these days? Moi?

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  2. Trevor Watt

    Fon Network?

    There is no 'Fon Network'. There are a few associated networks, but generally it is just a large bunch of 'Foneras' all running their own Fon-Spots offering a way for each other to piggy-back onto their broadband connection at a speed the Fonero has decided. You simply buy a Fonera WiFi access point, plug it into your router or DSL/Cable modem and away you go.

    It works well, more so in the major cities abroad but it is spreading slowly through the UK. Pretty much just Foneros giving and taking, share and share alike.

    So how many of the Foneros will react to BT using their (generally) philanthropic offering as a springboard for a new business venture then anyone guess is as good as yours.

    Indeed, as BT users will soon find out, many Foneros have already moved their locations on the Fon-Spot map in protest over the fact that Fon now allow ANYONE to hook up for 15 minutes a day for free, just for registering their email address. So go out of the way a bit looking for a Fon-Spot and find it is not even there!

    No doubt this discussion about the article will be flooded with the usual 'Open networks are fine to pillage' posts soon enough...

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  3. dervheid
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    It's not exactly...

    what you'd call cheap then, is it. Not with just a poxy 50 minutes and 50 texts for your £24. Or was that a typo. If it was 500 of each, then it'd be in the ballpark with the other networks.

    But then again, if that is the package, BT clearly think the public are all mugs <cough>'Phorm' </cough>

    Memo to BT.

    We're NOT all mugs.

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  4. Anonymous Coward
    Paris Hilton

    mugs

    Most of us are, though.

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  5. Anonymous Coward
    Stop

    10mb ....wow

    Jesus who the hell does their research....10mb is no way near enough if they really want to live up the broadband anywhere....ok the hotspots are great if you can find one or live in a local coffee shop. most of the time people are on the train and have no chance of using this huge bundle of 10mb!!

    With the below rates no doubt they'll be cashing on on people bursting through 8(

    Additional usage will be charged at £1.50 per Mb. Any allowance not used during the month may not be carried forward.

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  6. Simon Greenwood

    re: Fon Network?

    If you look on Fon's forums, you'll find that the company is involved in a number of similar projects with telcos around the world including Telefonica in Spain and Time Warner in the US. What it hopefully means for Foneros is that we might have the promised reciprocal access to BT Hotspots soon (still isn't available - I tested it in St Peter's Square in Manchester last week).

    As for the 15 minute free connection, a Fonera makes a princely 4p out of one if they're a bill, which is working for me (8p this weekend! Woohoo). I don't think this makes the FON_AP an open network, although using them for a commercial VOIP service is a bit cheeky on BT's part, so I will be watching mine for excessive voice use.

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  7. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Nothing new

    This isn't new. It was 'soft launched' several months ago. In other words it wasn't actively promoted but was available to customers who happened to know it exists . You'll find it's been discussed at some length in the public forums on the BT web site.

    The 10MB per month GPRS (the phones aren't 3G) data allowance is indeed laughable, as customers, and BT's billing department will find out when it stops being unmetered.

    The pricing is not quite the rip-off it sounds, as the amounts quoted include your home ADSL connection. A fiver a month for 50 minutes, 50 SMSes and a shiny new smart phone isn't excessive.

    @ Trevor Watt

    You're confusing FON proper with the watered-down BT version. The latter just involves opting in via a web page. Once you've done that, your BT Home Hub broadcasts a second, BT Openzone-branded, SSID. You only know you're connecting to BT FON and not Openzone proper when you see the BT FON-branded landing page.

    To the best of my knowledge, the BT version doesn't give freebies.

    If I've understood correctly, BT FON members can use BT Openzone, BT FON, and real FON. Members of FON proper) can use BT FON but not BT Openzone.

    The fact that BT uses the same SSID for Openzone and BT FON must make life frustrating for those who have access to one but not the other. BT FON and real FON have their own separate hotspot maps which haven't yet been integrated. Despite the drawbacks, I've opted in because I think it's a good idea in principle, even though I have yet to find a usable hotspot.

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  8. Anonymous Coward
    Flame

    BT 'options'

    Personally I want a BT 'option 0'.

    I'm sick of paying for BT call time when all I need is the BT circuit which is the prerequisite for a non-BT broadband connection. Annoyingly, even LLU providers require this.

    (Although a lot of our district is cabled for Telewest, our street *isn't* so I'm forced to use BT's infrastructure no matter which broadband solution I choose)

    All my calls are made via free/cheap packages on my mobile or VOIP, so the extra money for 'BT Option 1' is going down the drain.

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  9. Stephen Tordoff

    @BT Fon

    In order to use the 'BT FON' network for free, you have to set up your home hub to be a FONSpot IIRC.

    This doesn't always work though. I signed to it, got instant access to the local BTFon spots. Three weeks later, my hub still hasn't been activated as a FONSpot

    Never mind, moved to PlusNet now anyway. BTs support staff are generally terrible (Call on a weekend, seem to get the Newcastle call center more often than not. Much better than the out-sourced centers used in the week)

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  10. Anonymous Coward
    Alert

    10MB Not Enough?

    If you need more than 10MB on a mobile, what the hell are you doing? Mobile porn isn't THAT good!

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  11. Ian Ferguson
    Thumb Down

    Fon 'network'

    I remain to be convinced by Fon - according to their website, there are no other Fon spots on the Isle of Wight, where I live, and only a couple in Southampton, in housing estates. I'd hoped to be able to use the network while lounging in the sun or around town on business, but due to the business plan, it seems only residential areas are likely to have hotspots. I don't fancy stopping outside someone's house and pulling out my PDA :-/

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  12. Paul Biggs
    Go

    mugs?

    It's not £24 just for the BT Mobile thingy, it's £29.99 a month for the whole shooting match inc BT Boradband, Home Hub, Hub Phone, BT Vision etc.

    For anyone on BT Broadband Option 3 it's an extra £5 per month which doesn't seem too bad.

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  13. John Moppett

    FON Network

    I have 'subscribed' to BT FON about 8 times over the last few months. It has 'upgraded' my HomeHub, but never given connectivity!

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  14. Nick

    BT Mobile

    BT Mobile's data plans are shat. We use BT plc as our preferred supplier for voice, data and mobile, and everything is as well as it can be, apart from their data plans. So we've done a deal with Yodafone (who hosts BTs MNVO in case you wern't aware) to use their data plans in our 3G cards, rather than BT's. Even BT (privately) admit their data service is pants.

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  15. Scott
    Go

    Come on Stupid People Actually Think Before Posting!

    It's amazing how some folks just open their mouth and let their belly rumble.

    I'll bet not one person who has replied actually has the service, but has seen fit to slate it.

    I have the service already on an early test - WiFi works well, in the home or in the office I can connect on private LANs with ease. In the airport it configures to Openzone easily (so far tested in Edinburgh/Glasgow/Stantsed).

    People having a pop at the 10mb allowance obviously haven't read much - this service is all about WiFi. GPRS is there as a backup in case you can't get coverage. If you are savvy enough you should be able to bounce between HotSpots.

    Where it works well is to tie into a company's Exchange server. I get my mail and appointments synched up. It's set to do less frequent checks out of office hours.

    Broadband Talk is a bit ropey though - get some delays, but it's adequate. In theory you could be in an office in Hong Kong/Sydney/NYC etc and make calls to 01/02 numbers in the UK for free - and in turn people could phone your house Broadband Talk number and it wouldn't cost.

    Battery life is a bit suspect - but it comes with a bumper battery. For an extra fiver a month - it's much better value than Blackberry.

    All in all - i'm a happy user. Worth £5 a month!

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  16. Gilbert Wham

    I would rather...

    ...insert a glass rod into my urethra, then bash my cock with a hammer than ever use BT again. Not *exactly* germane, I know, but I feel better for sharing...

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  17. Kamal Kanabar

    I work for BT

    Hello there everyone! My first post on The Register! WOOO!!

    Ok, so I work for BT and this has been available to employees for a while now. Its BT Option 3, add £5 for this and you get the handset and minutes etc. Its actually pretty good!!

    If I were you though I'd get the S710 I think it was, thats the one running Windows Mobile 6, the S620 is running Windows Mobile 5.

    Hope this helps...

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  18. Anonymous Coward
    Stop

    10mb enough?? I don't think so.

    Kamal you can get Mobile 6 on your phone, but you will need to flash the software onto it. I have done it and it runs much better.

    With regard to 10mb being plenty...I don't think so. I did 20mb coming back from london 2 hours. listening to web radio and reading bbc news and hotmail . no porn 8) so it can easily been done.

    Hotspots...ok if you search for them and bugger off for a coffee to do a bit of downloading then fine, but I do not think the hotspots are widespread enough..unless you live i Norwich. 8)

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  19. Anonymous Coward
    Boffin

    ....Total Broadband Anywhere really???

    the title is not just about using crap mobile browsing, but using your phone as a hub to get broadband anywhere!!!

    The software is on the phone and this is what the functionality is for....so not just sh1tty mobile browsing......

    Broadband anywhere...but perhaps it should be clearer as limited mobile broadband anywhere.

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  20. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Windows on mobile devices?

    What is wrong with you people?

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  21. Andy Davies

    How much?

    Additional usage will be charged at £1.50 per Mb.

    Does that mean around £15,000 per GigaByte?

    AndyD 8-)#

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  22. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    10MB

    Anyone who thinks 10MB is plenty should try using Google Maps on a mobile device. You can easily use that in minutes.

    @Kamal Kanabar

    The S620 does have Windows Mobile 6, unless you got an early model.

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  23. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Mb and GB's

    Well does it?

    I don't get it either 10024 megs in a gig surely??

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