Edd Dawson, managing director of broadband.co.uk, notes an announcement from mobile operator O2 that it is working to create a network of Wi-Fi access points throughout the UK.
"Potentially, they're trying to get people off mobile broadband and on to a Wi-Fi connection," he suggests.
"That could be one of the reasons that they're doing it for free."
As well as improving performance for Wi-Fi users - including those with support for the protocol on their mobile phones - the move could also help other forms of wireless communications.
For instance, bandwidth available on the 3G network for mobile telephony could increase as more traffic is offloaded to Wi-Fi infrastructure.
However, Mr Dawson predicts that private home broadband connections will still remain popular among consumers who want guaranteed bandwidth to themselves.
Posted by Michael Lowe
