Tesco is planning to offer WiFi access in its stores, in what would mark a significant increase in the availability of free internet access in Britain.
The supermarket giant is currently trialling the service in four stores, but expects to expand it across its 2,700 UK sites.
Tescoââ¬â¢s chief information officers said customers were already using smartphones in-store to check prices.
ââ¬ÅYou can stand Canute-like and pretend nothing is happeningââ¬Â¦ or you can say itââ¬â¢s happening, and I am going to help it happen,ââ¬Â Mike McNamara told the Financial Times.
ââ¬ÅMy guess is it will go to all stores,ââ¬Â he added.
The move is also likely to encourage use of Tescoââ¬â¢s in-store ââ¬Åsat navââ¬Â app, which guides shoppers to the items on their list via the shortest route. A trial of the app recently began at a store in Essex.
It would also make Tesco the first British supermarket chain to provide free WiFi, a potential fillip in the fiercely competitive economic climate. Currently Starbucks and McDonalds are among the biggest providers of public WiFi hotspots, although Starbucksââ¬â¢ are operated by BT Openzone, which requires payment or a BT Broadband account.
However, Mr McNamara said Tesco's free WiFi will probably have a usage limit.
If you sit there streaming video forever, we may switch it off, he said.
Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/8663388/Tesco-plans-free-WiFi-in-stores.html
Do you have a Tesco store where you are? If so, would you use this free service?
The supermarket giant is currently trialling the service in four stores, but expects to expand it across its 2,700 UK sites.
Tescoââ¬â¢s chief information officers said customers were already using smartphones in-store to check prices.
ââ¬ÅYou can stand Canute-like and pretend nothing is happeningââ¬Â¦ or you can say itââ¬â¢s happening, and I am going to help it happen,ââ¬Â Mike McNamara told the Financial Times.
ââ¬ÅMy guess is it will go to all stores,ââ¬Â he added.
The move is also likely to encourage use of Tescoââ¬â¢s in-store ââ¬Åsat navââ¬Â app, which guides shoppers to the items on their list via the shortest route. A trial of the app recently began at a store in Essex.
It would also make Tesco the first British supermarket chain to provide free WiFi, a potential fillip in the fiercely competitive economic climate. Currently Starbucks and McDonalds are among the biggest providers of public WiFi hotspots, although Starbucksââ¬â¢ are operated by BT Openzone, which requires payment or a BT Broadband account.
However, Mr McNamara said Tesco's free WiFi will probably have a usage limit.
If you sit there streaming video forever, we may switch it off, he said.
Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/8663388/Tesco-plans-free-WiFi-in-stores.html
Do you have a Tesco store where you are? If so, would you use this free service?
