O2 Extends Free Wi-fi For Olympics

O2 is extending its free wi-fi coverage in London during the Olympic Games, with new hotspots in seven classic tourist spots, including Leicester Square, Piccadilly Circus, Exhibition Road, and other London landmarks and shopping streets.

The wi-fi follows a deal with Westminster City Council and the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea. O2 has signed on House of Fraser to be the first exclusive advertiser across its free wi-fi network, which automatically updates content on its homepage depending on the user’s location.

"With millions of extra people coming to town for the Games, we want to ensure we showcase the capital as the best city in the world to work and visit," says Mayor of London Boris Johnson. "And the addition of free wi-fi to some of our most popular landmarks is crucial in helping to maintaining that reputation."

Following a predicted 13 per cent rise in footfall through London during the summer, the move is a smart one by O2. It's not an official Olympic sponsor - The O2 in Greenwich even had to be re-named for the games - but the wi-fi gives it a greater prominence, without breaking the terms of the Olympic marketing rules, which many other companies have run up against in recent weeks.