Frequently asked questions
- Are there any public health issues with wireless networks?
- Why is BT creating wireless cities?
- How much Wi-Fi coverage has been provided in the city centres?
- What is the definition of a Wireless City?
- Why have you just covered the city centre areas?
- Why have you just covered the main roads in the cities?
- What does BT mean by having a 'square mile' of coverage?
- Will I get blanket coverage in the city centre?
- What will happen when I move outside the coverage area?
- Compared to the U.S., it doesn't feel like you're covering huge amounts of the city. Why not?
- Are all the cities the same, what is the coverage difference between the 12 cities you have announced today?
- Why have you chosen these cities?
- Are you having problems with any of the cities?
- Is it true that some cities have put or are now putting the contract out to public tender?
- What is the difference between the payphones coverage and the networks you have built in the other cities?
- Surely your payphone locations can't cover the same area as a pole top or lamppost sites?
- Why have you used payphones not city structures such as lampposts?
- What happens when I walk into a building?
- What happens when a bus or lorry goes past?
- What happens when it rains or is foggy?
- What happens when there is a power failure?
- Can I make emergency calls?
- What does contiguous coverage mean?
- What about other Wi-Fi networks in the city, will these be affected?
- What devices can we use on this network, is it just for PC's?
- Can the network be used to make BT Fusion calls?
- How much will calls cost?
- How much is BT spending in each of the cities? Over how long a period? What level of financial return are you planning for/expecting?
- What should I do about wireless security?
- Do councils have to inject any money?
- There have been stories in America of telecom companies pulling out of wireless city deals because of the poorer than expected financial return. Do you take this as a sign that the business models are unsustainable?
- Are you planning on creating any more Wireless Cities this year?
- Aren't some of your cities the same as The Cloud has been announcing?
- What is BT's view on free Wi-Fi?
- How does your Microconnect work fit with your Wireless Cities initiative?
- How do I protect my business' network from security breaches?
- What type of security policies should I have in place to protect my business?
- How do I educate staff about security?
- When using the wireless network, what steps can I take to protect my personal PC, laptop or PDA?
Are there any public health issues with wireless networks?
Local authorities are at liberty to reassure their citizens about the safety of Wi-Fi; the systems operate at a very low power of less than one watt per access point. Indeed, all Wi-fi access points installed in the UK will produce radio frequency fields well below the international guildelines, as verified by the Radio Communications Agency.
Why is BT creating wireless cities?
Wireless access is at the heart of BT's mobility and convergence vision, which is to keep people and communities better connected, whether at home, in the workplace or out and about. We want to make sure people have access to all their applications and information on their choice of device, utilising the best network available with a simple and seamless user experience.
How much Wi-Fi coverage has been provided in the city centres?
We have installed Wi-Fi access points in all the 12 city centre areas we have announced today. They encompass approximately a square mile of Wi-Fi coverage, although at first the coverage may not be continuous in all areas of the centre. As we complete agreements with City Councils for access to street structures, we are installing Wi-Fi equipment on lampposts to ensure that we cover the main city centre areas, and depending on the city topology we hope to be able to cover up to two square miles with Wi-Fi coverage at this stage. After this the Wi-Fi network will be extended on a commercial basis in discussion with the City Council and other key users.
For example in Westminster we have concluded an agreement with Vertex and the City of Westminster Council to provide around 5 square miles of coverage which will provide both Council services and public Wi-Fi access. This is being installed now and provides an example of what can be achieved with a shared vision and effective private-public partnership.
What is the definition of a Wireless City?
There is no set definition for a wireless city. BT is working with each local authority to understand their requirements and will then deliver a network and applications to meet those requirements. It will involve an area of extensive Wi-Fi coverage in the core area of a city.
Why have you just covered the city centre areas?
The city centre is the natural initial area to cover in major cities. We believe the city centre areas will provide the best location for most people to benefit from the new wireless Wi-Fi services and devices that are becoming available. Where there is commercial demand BT will build out from the central area in conjunction with its City Council partners to provide coverage for Council services and other commercial requirements.
Why have you just covered the main roads in the cities?
The coverage possible in city centres is designed to provide good coverage along the most popular roads and pedestrian routes. The Wi-Fi radio signal will cover around 50-60m on each side of the road, meaning that many smaller roads and backstreets will have coverage. To cover all the smaller backstreets with Wi-Fi is both unnecessary and expensive. Most people will find that the coverage provided along major thoroughfares and roads will be excellent, and BT wishes to ensure the price of services is acceptable to customers, so unnecessary costs have been cut out.
What does BT mean by having a 'square mile' of coverage?
BT measures the area covered by its Wireless Cities network to provide its customers with a broad plan of where the Wi-Fi service will operate across the city centres. All city geographies are different and as a result the coverage map in each city is unique. As an average we have installed approximately one square mile of coverage in each city centre, using our own payphone locations and lampposts where we have reached agreements with City Councils. In some cities the area is larger than a square mile (for example Westminster and Birmingham), in some it is smaller.
Will I get blanket coverage in the city centre?
The Wireless Cities network is designed to provide as much continuous Wi-Fi coverage as possible within the city centre area. As our equipment is increasingly located onto city centre structures and lampposts the signal coverage will improve and we expect to provide continuous coverage in all major city centre areas.
What will happen when I move outside the coverage area?
There will always be an edge to city centre Wi-Fi coverage. When BT Fusion services move out of Wi-Fi coverage range they will automatically switch over to BT Mobile coverage. For other Wi-Fi only services, for example BT Openzone, customers must be within the coverage area to receive Wi-Fi signals and connect.
Compared to the U.S., it doesn't feel like you're covering huge amounts of the city. Why not?
In general, the networks usually cover several square kilometres of cities, providing a wire-free, high-speed broadband network, which can be used for easy access to information and services. By working alongside local authorities, such as Westminster and Liverpool, we know we're installing wireless technology where it is needed most.
Are all the cities the same, what is the coverage difference between the 12 cities you have announced today?
The way we have installed the wireless network in each city depends on the progress we have made with each of the individual City Councils. We have made tremendous progress in some cities and have concluded agreements to install our equipment on city centre lampposts and to trial public service applications, while in others we have used our existing payphone sites to fast track installation of equipment. This has been welcomed by City Councils as providing a fast and effective way of providing the benefits of Wi-Fi to city communities and citizens, and extending our BT Openzone internal hot spots into public spaces. The payphone coverage forms the first stage of our Wireless City build plan.
Why have you chosen these cities?
These are all forward-thinking cities, where residents, businesses and local councils realise the benefits that Wi-Fi can bring. Overall, if local authorities are interested in bringing the benefits of Wi-Fi to their city, then BT is interested in exploring the opportunities with them. We have been inundated with interest from local authorities and businesses who want to work with BT on this.
Are you having problems with any of the cities?
Not at all. We are still forging ahead, working with local authorities to ensure that the technology we will roll out will be of maximum benefit to the area involved. It would do nobody any favours if we were to simply install an 'off the shelf' system. All of these discussions are in advanced state and the fact that 12 of these Cities have gone live confirms that we're not having any problems.
Is it true that some cities have put or are now putting the contract out to public tender?
Yes, as they are entitled to do. However, we are confident that our knowledge, experience, resource and ability to work in partnership with the councils to deliver a raft of services make BT the most competitive and ultimately preferred option for the cities. Of course, this does not mean a city cannot be Wi-Fi enabled; it is the level of investment in public services and extra infrastructure, such as Wi-Fi cameras, that will be covered in a joint development.
We do see local authority involvement at the heart of this transformational programme and are confident that we can combine their priorities with BT's business needs. BT is investing extensively in wireless infrastructure in each city, delivering coverage across a wide city centre area, now available for business and public use, and has a commercial imperative to seek return on this investment.
What is the difference between the payphones coverage and the networks you have built in the other cities?
In some of the larger cities we have mainly built our wireless networks using City Council owned lampposts and other street structures. These structures provide excellent wireless signal coverage over a wider area than the payphones alone can provide and are less sensitive to traffic clutter (the effect of traffic flows on radio signals i.e. lorries and buses).
Surely your payphone locations can't cover the same area as a pole top or lamppost sites?
No, that is true. The payphone coverage is obviously dependent on where the payphones are located, and the Wi-Fi signal does not travel as far as if the equipment is located on a lamppost as the payphone is lower and the kiosk introduces some signal loss. However we have installed around 50 payphone sites in most cities, so the coverage area we have achieved is substantial.
Why have you used payphones not city structures such as lampposts?
We have used our payphone sites as a starting point to bring the benefits of extended Wi-Fi coverage to the cities as quickly as possible. We all know that it takes time to make agreements with City Councils to use lampposts, so this strategy is a fast and effective way of beginning to get Wi-Fi coverage to city centres as we work in parallel with our Council partners.
What happens when I walk into a building?
The Wireless Cities network is designed to provide Wi-Fi coverage in public and open spaces. The Wireless Cities signal may be available near windows and doors in a building, but coverage is not guaranteed inside buildings. For the BT Fusion voice service, handover to the BT Mobile GSM network will be automatic and seamless. BT offers its Total Broadband and BT Openzone services for interior broadband coverage, and Total Broadband now includes free BT Openzone minutes.
What happens when a bus or lorry goes past?
Where equipment is located on lampposts (approximately 6-8m above ground level), the effect of road traffic is minimal. There may be some interference in payphone located equipment as this is sited at around 2m above the ground, but this will be resolved as the larger networks are installed.
What happens when it rains or is foggy?
In inclement weather radio signals can suffer increased attenuation. However rain fade is only really a factor above about 10 GHz, so both the 2.4 GHz access and 5 GHz frequencies used by the Wireless Cities network should not suffer from this problem.
What happens when there is a power failure?
The Wi-Fi equipment is powered either from lamppost supplies or the payphone site. These may be affected when there is a general power failure, but this is unlikely and BT Fusion services will switch over to the BT Mobile network if this occurs.
Can I make emergency calls?
Yes. With BT Fusion calls are routed via the BT Mobile service when the Wi-Fi signal is not available.
What does contiguous coverage mean?
Contiguous coverage means that the radio signal from individual Wi-Fi aerials is designed to provide a continuous Wi-Fi signal as a customer moves from one point to another.
This provides customers with the ability to stay connected to the Wi-Fi service within city centre areas without losing the signal. It means that users will only ever be a short distance from a Wi-Fi site, and will be able to connect easily and at low-cost to the BT wireless broadband network.
What about other Wi-Fi networks in the city, will these be affected?
The specification used in public Wi-Fi networks allows for multiple networks to be used in the same location. Wi-Fi uses different channels (parts of the radio spectrum) and the wireless cities equipment will choose whichever channel has the least interference to operate on. The technology also automatically manages contention between different networks by identifying and retransmitting packets of information when they clash.
What devices can we use on this network, is it just for PC's?
The Wi-Fi network today can be used for a wide range of PC's and hand held devices (sometimes known as Personal Digital Assistants – PDAs), gaming devices such as Nintendo DS, and Wi-Fi compatible VoIP phones such BT Fusion. BT expects the number and range of these devices to increase rapidly over the next 2-3 years, for instance Wi-Fi connected cameras, new types of very small portable computers, Wi-Fi connected media players and many more Wi-Fi compatible mobile phones. The BT wireless city networks, and BT Openzone services will provide fast and cost effective high speed broadband connections for this increasing range of devices bringing a much better user experience for fast data and media content wherever the user is located.
Can the network be used to make BT Fusion calls?
Yes. The Wireless Cities network and BT Openzone hotspots will be able to handle BT Fusion calls.
How much will calls cost?
BT Fusion calls made over the Wireless City network will cost the same low rate as those made from home or in an Openzone hotspot.
For consumers, we have introduced the BT Fusion Plus call plan. When out and about calls come out of your inclusive minutes bundle, but when at home or in a BT Openzone hotspot, customers can talk for 4 minutes and use just one as calls go over the BT Total Broadband network. This means you can enjoy the freedom to use your mobile when ever you like, at home or out and know you're getting the most from your minutes. The call plans are as follows:
All will be available for the first 3 months free.
For business users, call charges are as follows:
Fusion without BT Business One Plan (triple-play fixed, mobile and broadband package) Line rental - £12.50 per month
10p per hour on calls to UK fixed lines
15P per hour on calls to other BT Mobiles
25P per hour to other mobile networks
Fusion in BT Business One Plan £15.00 per month
5p per hour on calls to UK fixed lines
15P per hour on calls to other BT Mobile
25P per hour anywhere – never pay more than 25p for a call in the office or at a BT Openzone hotspot
1 Handset if free per connection
Further cost benefits:
The first handset is free
Customers get 20MB GPRS data download
free smart messaging - single voicemail service across mobile and landline
How much is BT spending in each of the cities? Over how long a period? What level of financial return are you planning for/expecting?
Overall, BT is investing millions, and the levels will vary according to the local authorities' needs. BT is making a long-term investment and commitment to the UK and, whilst BT is clearly looking to make a commercial return for its shareholders, the level of return and timescale of return will depend on the take-up of applications by local authorities and by consumers and businesses in the cities.
What should I do about wireless security?
Wi-Fi public access networks supports the latest robust security protocols, so data sent and received by mobile devices is securely encrypted to prevent others from accessing it. Due to widespread publicity about broadband security and virus attacks, complemented by many free security software offering provided by internet service providers (ISPs) such as BT, most people and virtually all businesses are already taking steps to shield their computing assets.
Do councils have to inject any money?
We are working in partnership with local authorities in order to ensure that the wireless cities network supports local authority applications and services. BT will invest in the network itself and discussions will need to be had on the funding for the desired applications.
There have been stories in America of telecom companies pulling out of wireless city deals because of the poorer than expected financial return. Do you take this as a sign that the business models are unsustainable?
Not at all. Whilst we don't have the full details of particular cases involving other companies, we are confident that the approaches we are taking with local authorities will be of benefit beyond the initial roll-out date. The success of Westminster is evidence of this.
Are you planning on creating any more Wireless Cities this year?
We have been delighted with the interest we have had from cities in working with us and in partnering together to bring the benefits of wireless broadband to cities in the UK. We work with many other cities on a series of projects within BT and, as such, if local authorities are interested in bringing the benefits of Wi-Fi to their city, then BT is interested in working with them.
Aren't some of your cities the same as The Cloud has been announcing?
Whilst we both have the same goal of providing the city with a wireless network, BT is working closely with each local authority to demonstrate that we can develop a range of applications, as well as the wireless infrastructure, to ensure that each citizen and business in the area can benefit from the e-enabled council.
We are also looking at pushing wireless broadband networks out across the UK and Ireland as a whole. For example, we have recently worked with East Sussex County Council to transform the way people live and work in the area.
What is BT's view on free Wi-Fi?
BT is currently working with 12 local authorities to roll out wireless city networks by the end of March 2007 and is in discussions with many others. We have developed tiered options that allow free access to specific information and services. For example in Birmingham, the wireless city portal will give free access over the network to Birmingham-specific information relating to topics such as health, transport, events, and schools, whilst people are out and about in the city centre.
Wi-Fi access, free at the point of use is an integral part of BT's wireless cities offering. To provide sustainable services such as free Wi-fi, there must always be a funding mechanism to meet the costs of providing a quality service. 'Free' is often a misused word in the world of wireless cities as somewhere, someone has to pay for it.
BT believes that there are business models emerging that could support these services in a sustainable way and is actively considering how these can be brought to market and their benefit to address the social inclusion and digital divide debates. For example, in the new year we will be trialling a 'free' at point of use BT Openzone branded Wi-Fi service aimed at the casual user looking for basic connectivity.
Whilst we are keen to look at how the market responds to our trial, we anticipate that there will always be a demand for customers willing to pay for a secure and high quality unlimited service and are confident that it is the combination of widespread access with value for money that customers are demanding from Wi-Fi.
How does your Microconnect work fit with your Wireless Cities initiative?
Microconnect demonstrates BT's expertise in designing and delivering wireless communications infrastructures using street furniture owned by local authorities. Where Wi-Fi is planned for cities that have a Microconnect network, some of its infrastructure may be used to enable Wi-Fi services.
How do I protect my business' network from security breaches?
Firstly, it's important to ensure that security standards are best suited to your business needs. A good start is to select the right user authentication and data encryption mechanisms best suited to your business needs, budget, and resources. This choice should be informed by the network security needs you have as a business.
Also consider the capabilities of your existing infrastructure, but don't set the security level at the lowest common denominator. Your best option would be to invest in upgraded equipment. But if you must use older less capable devices, consider segregating these onto a separate and less trusted (DMZ/Firewalled) part of the network.
Next, select a security standard best suited to your business needs. Security standards are based on IEEE 802.11 and range in levels of security encryption. Choose a standard that carries a level of encryption that's most appropriate for what you need to protect – not necessarily the lowest common (security) denominator that your equipment is capable of supporting.
How does your Microconnect work fit with your Wireless Cities initiative?
Without a policy requiring regularly scheduled security checks, you're putting your network at risk for future security breaches. Here's what you need to do:
- Develop enterprise wireless network security policies and establish quarterly performance objectives based on these policies.
- Regularly scan for rogue or unknown access points, and/or client devices.
- Change default management passwords and Service Set Identifier (SSID) on access points.
- Implement the appropriate IEEE security specifications.
How do I educate staff about security?
It's important to advise your employees of their shared responsibility to security. By educating users to be security partners, you can help further manage your security challenges. Here are a few steps you should take:
- Explain to employees the risk of setting up access points (called Rogue Access Points) without the network administrator's knowledge or consent. When setting up Rogue access points, employees often fail to address security settings, assuming they're turned on, or fail to set adequate levels of security that can be easily breached.
- Implement a system where users know the names of the access points/SSIDs, and stress the importance of connecting only to known and approved wireless networks.
- Educate users about security risks of connecting wirelessly using peer-to-peer, or "ad-hoc", networks.
- Ensure users understand they should only access the corporate network from home, public or shared wireless networks via a secure VPN (Virtual Private Network).
- Ensure all wireless capable devices have an appropriate personal firewall and antivirus package installed. Perform regular updates to ensure that these remain effective against newly emerging threats.
- Show users how to check security mechanisms on their device and enable the appropriate functions.
When using the wireless network, what steps can I take to protect my personal PC, laptop or PDA?
To protect your personal data and minimise any security risks, there are several things you can do to improve wireless security both at home and when you're using a public wireless hotspot.
Here are the steps you should take:
- Change the default Service Set Identifier (SSID)
The SSID is the name given to your wireless network at home. Your wireless devices may have a default SSID. Hackers know these defaults and can try them to join your network. Change the network's SSID to something unique, which doesn't refer to the networking products you use, or identify you or your company directly. - Disable SSID broadcast.
By default, most wireless networking devices are set to broadcast the SSID, so anyone can easily join the wireless network. But hackers will also be able to detect and connect. So unless you're running a public hotspot, it's best to disable SSID broadcast. - Change the default password needed to access a wireless device.
For wireless products such as access points and routers, you'll be asked for a password to change their settings. These devices have a default password. Hackers know these defaults and will try them to access your wireless device and change your network settings. To avoid unauthorised changes, customise the device's password so it's hard to guess. - Install a personal firewall on your PC.
Your device should be secured by a personal firewall to help prevent unwanted users from accessing it when you enable wireless. Installing a personal firewall will allow only traffic that you authorise, making it harder for attackers to gain access to your PC. Some operating systems include a personal firewall as standard, but it's important to check that the firewall is enabled and correctly configured. You can download a free trial firewall from the internet before you decide to buy a full security firewall. - Enable security and encryption on your wireless network and PC.
There are a number of different security standards that wireless devices support today. Identify your wireless router and PC's capabilities and select the strongest option that best suits your circumstances. But, remember that this will only secure the link between your PC and the wireless router. Any sensitive information may require other security mechanisms (see the 'Secure personal details' section). - WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy)
This is the original security standard that wireless supported. It's available in both 40 bit and 128 bit versions. While neither of these provide a great level of security, they deter opportunist users from connecting to you network or PC. Consider one of the later, stronger, security options. If your PC doesn't support these, enabling WEP is much better than doing nothing. - WPA-PSK (WiFi Protected Access - PreShared Key)
This improved security mechanism followed WEP and provides far greater protection. It still has a number of known flaws, mostly relating to weaknesses in the PreShared Key value. Care must be taken when selecting a suitable key to make sure it can't be easily obtained by brute force. - WPA2-PSK
As above, but this replaces to older RC4 cypher with the more modern AES - Advanced Encryption Standard. Users may find that their PC does not support WPA2, and to use this it will be necessary to purchase a software supplicant. - Secure personal details
Only input bank and other personal details when SSL or HTTPS sessions are in progress (look for the padlock icon in your browser and configure your Internet browser to confirm that the security certificate is valid). - Turn off file and print sharing on your computer.
Prevent people from accessing your hard drive and seeing your files. To do this using Windows XP, go to your Control Panel, click on Network and Dial-Up Connections, find your wireless card, click on the Properties button, and uncheck the File and Print Sharing box to turn it off. - Look into consumer VPN services
Although Virtual Private Networks (VPN) are generally used by company networks to provide strong authentication and encryption for hotspot communications (as well as GPRS, dial up and broadband), there are also inexpensive consumer VPN services that give you many of the protection measures a corporate VPN would offer. - Automatic log onEnsure your Laptop/PDA can't automatically log-on because you've configured it to remember passwords. This should be turned off (often an Internet Explorer browser setting).
