Skype to offer free Internet phone calls for UK hotspot users

Internet Business News, March 3, 2005

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UK wireless broadband company Broadreach Networks and IP telephony company Skype have announced that they are offering users the chance to make free calls over the Internet via any of Broadreach's 350 Wi-Fi hotspots around the UK.

The companies said that all users will need is to download a free Skype account, and they will then be able to make free Internet calls via Wi-Fi to other Skype account holders. Users can also call landlines and mobiles for a fee. The system - called Skype Out - has 28m users worldwide, and has so far attracted 940,000 UK users.

Skype said that it is planning to launch other pay services including voice mail, video conferencing, and Skype In - which would allow users to receive calls from mobiles and landlines. A spokesperson for Broadreach said that it is delighted to be offering Skype users free access through its hotspots, reports the BBC.

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