Wi-Fi enables BP customers to surf the net while filling up

By RICHARD PAMATATAU

Customers of petrol seller BP will be able to check their email and surf the net through a deal with Auckland's Reach Wireless which is adding selected Cafe Zip locations to its "Wi-Fi" hot spot network.

The deal sees Reach services being installed at BP Cafe Zip locations and customers who have Wi-Fi capable laptops or handheld computers will now be able to check their email or browse the net while buying petrol or eating snacks.

Steve Sims, Reach Wireless general manager, said the roll out is progressive and included Christchurch and Queenstown.

Coffee joint Starbucks also has a deal with Reach and is installing hotspots in about 30 of its outlets round the country. Other places covered in Auckland include Dizengoff, a cafe on Ponsonby Road, and the trendy corner of the Viaduct basin where the terraces of the Soul Bar and Mecca attract a savvy high-tech lunch set.

Auckland International Airport also has a number of "wi-fi" trials underway.

While Starbucks is giving away five megabytes of bandwidth usage for every "grande" sized coffee or other beverage the pricing regime for the BP customers has not been released.

Reach is owned by Unicall Communications, which is owned by Argent Networks headed by Chris Jones. Argent supplies Reach with billing software.