BT Wi-fi signed 5-year partnership with Young and Co.’s Brewery plc to provide free BT Wi-fi at 140 Young’s and Geronimo Pubs

23-7-2013 — /EuropaWire/ — Visitors to Young’s and Geronimo pubs are set to get free wi-fi, following a new five year partnership between Young and Co.’s Brewery plc and BT Wi-fi. The new service will be rolled out to 140 pubs and bars in London and the South East over the next five months. Customers will be able to get online quickly with any wireless mobile device, tablet or PC.

The deal comes as research conducted by BT and ICM* has revealed that 87% of consumers have accessed the internet whilst at an eating or drinking site, and 55% accessed wi-fi using a smartphone, tablet or laptop in a food and beverage site. When using wi-fi at one of these sites respondents were predominantly doing so to check social media (49%) or catch up on news and sport (42%).

Andy Maynard, IS Manager, Young and Co.’s Brewery Plc. comments: “Increasing amounts of customers keep in touch with the office or hold work meetings at our pubs during the day. On evenings and weekends, visitors are catching up on the days’ goings on or keeping a check on the sports. Free wi-fi ticks the box on all counts and adds to the already social atmosphere.”

Andy Baker, CEO, BT Wi-fi, said: “It’s fantastic news that visitors to this premium pub chain will now get free BT Wi-fi. Our research shows that 61% of people actively search for a wi-fi hotspot while out and about eating & drinking. This new partnership means pub goers will be able to get online at any one of the 140 Young’s or Geronimo sites.”

Young’s will also receive wider communications services from BT Expedite, BT’s multichannel retail specialist business. BT will connect Young’s point of sale machines in the pubs to reduce operational costs and provide better, more flexible services to their customers, alongside superfast fibre broadband, voice communications services and a dedicated support desk for landlords.

BT has more than 5 million hotspots in the UK and Ireland. All BT Wi-fi hotspots are free and unlimited for BT Broadband customers. Hotspots are available at brands like Starbucks, GAME, John Lewis, Network Rail and Hilton plus millions of homes and thousands of independent businesses.

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Notes to editors
*BT ICM Research March 2013, sample of 2,000 people