LONDON, March 3, 2005 – Broadreach Networks, one of the UK's leading independent Internet location providers and Skype Technologies S.A., the Global Internet Telephony Company™, today announced a partnership offering free Voice over Wi-Fi. Broadreach will open its network of 350 ReadytoSurf™ fixed and Wi-Fi wireless Internet locations in popular train stations, cafés and retail outlets across the UK to allow all Skype users free access to Skype. Starting today, wherever there is a ReadytoSurf hotspot, Skype users will enjoy the benefits of their Skype account at no charge whilst away from the home or office.
This partnership allows Skype's users in the UK to extend their reach to the growing base of more than 28 million global users. The new traffic will boost usage of Broadreach's ReadytoSurf™ hotspots and users will be charged for access to data services like Web browsing and email.
Broadreach's network of internet locations, which has a combined footfall of over 1bn per year, includes major brands like Virgin Megastores, Eurostar, Travelodge, Moto, Little Chef, Virgin Trains, EAT , Choice Hotels and Quality Inn and major railway stations including all the London terminals. Broadreach is the first hotspot operator to have secured a deal of this sort with Skype and is the launch partner in the UK. Global peer-to-peer Internet telephony company, Skype, offers a free, feature-rich multi-mode communications software with unrivalled call quality. Free Skype features include instant messaging with group chat, 5-party conference calling, file transfer, and easy mobility with the ability to sign in to a Skype account from any Internet connected PC anywhere in the world, a user-built global contact directory with numerous search options and an easy add-a-contact tool. Skype also offers SkypeOut, a pre-paid service that allows calls to landline and mobile numbers worldwide at low calling rates.
"Broadreach is a leader in the UK wireless market with a very high number of customers passing through its network locations and creative deployments such as Wi-Fi for rail passengers. Broadreach's understanding of, and relationships with, the transport industry makes the collaboration a compelling one for us and all UK Skype users," said Niklas Zennström, Skype CEO and co-founder. "We will continue to deliver our wireless strategy and efforts to make Skype ubiquitous".
Broadreach CEO and founder Magnus McEwen-King added: "Skype's success at spreading the word about Internet telephony is well-known and we are delighted to be offering free access to Skype users into our hotspots. We are pleased to be chosen as Skype's UK launch partner for Voice over WiFi, which endorses the quality of our network based on the brands in our portfolio as well as the very high footfall figures. We've always known that VoIP services would be very useful in a hotspot, and have been keen to make our ReadytoSurf™ sites ReadytoTalk™ for some time in order to enhance the experience for our 110,000 registered users, and those of our roaming partners. For us, the deal will drive awareness and use of our sites for data access services – Broadreach sites are already ReadytoSurf™ for data, now they are ReadytoTalk™ with Skype."
