Australian telecom Telstra and global wi-fi network Fon have commenced their ambitious plan to roll out a wi-fi network across Australia, covering more than 250 towns and cities throughout the country.

Using Fons innovative wi-fi sharing technology that has been deployed in a number of European countries, eligible Telstra customers will be able to activate the service and access their same home broadband allowance through thousands of hotspots across the country.

The network works by sharing a small portion of customers home internet bandwidth, in exchange for access at hotspots both within Australia and in 18 other countries including the UK, Brazil, Japan and Germany.

As well as residential areas, payphone sites and retail outlets will be covered by the deal, enabling users to access reliable wi-fi signal while out and about and within shopping areas.

“The network will be brought to life by and by our customers who can enjoy greater value from their broadband service by accessing their allowance outside the home,” said Karsten Wildberger, group managing director of consumer and products at Telstra. “We expect it will grow rapidly reaching thousands of neighbourhoods and millions of people across the country over the next five years.”

“After months of hard work, its great to see that our network is finally expanding over Australia,” said Alex Puregger, CEO of Fon. “I am glad people from both sides of the planet are using the same Fon technology to be connected at home and on the go.”