• O2 Wifi to revolutionise internet usage at London’s most vibrant business and shopping district
• Brings major boost to Canary Wharf’s digital connectivity and growing status as a leading technology hub
• Advanced retail technology capability introduced throughout Canary Wharf’s thriving shopping malls
• 1.2 million prospective customers expected every week
O2 and Canary Wharf Group have today announced that they will be bringing the operator’s market changing O2 Wifi service to Canary Wharf, one of the world’s premier business and shopping districts.
Installed by the end of summer 2013, O2’s Wifi service will benefit the 100,000-strong business community at Canary Wharf, home to some of the world’s leading professional services, financial, technology, media and telecommunications firms, and thousands more visiting the cafes, shops, bars and restaurants in the evenings and weekends.
The installation of fast, free, reliable and simple to use wifi, which is available to everyone regardless of network, will act as a further draw for its growing cluster of technology startups and help continue Canary Wharf’s role as a major driver of London’s digital economy.
Wifi services are crucial to the development of creative working practices such as collaborative offsite working in more informal environments. O2 Wifi will be accessible to anyone, in all public area areas including Canary Wharf’s four shopping malls, housing over 240 cafés, bars, restaurants and top retailers, and the 20 acres of outdoor parks and plazas.
The demographics of Canary Wharf’s visitors are incredibly valuable to retailers and advertisers – 48% own shares and 60% have a salary over £60k per annum*. O2 Wifi gives retailers and advertisers a unique platform to engage with workers and visitors and enhance the customer experience through branded landing pages and content, providing relevant and timely offers to reward loyalty.
The area boasts a packed programme of outdoor performing arts and events throughout the year, giving people the opportunity to connect using O2 Wifi to share their experiences with family and friends. Unlike other providers, O2 Wifi automatically connects all registered users so shoppers, visitors, residents and workers will only ever have to sign up once to get online.
The announcement follows last year’s deal where O2 Wifi brought free internet to millions of residents and visitors in central London by launching Europe’s largest free wifi zone across the boroughs of Westminster and Kensington and Chelsea in time for the Olympics.
Gavin Franks, Managing Director for O2 Wifi said: “This ground-breaking deal builds on the successful deployment of wifi across central London and will see us deliver high-quality, free connectivity to the UK’s busiest business district.”
“We understand that access to free public wifi is becoming a right rather than a privilege and nowhere is the demand greater than in Canary Wharf where big business deals are being struck every day, often away from the office and on the move.”
“In addition, we’re offering a unique platform for brands and advertisers to engage and deepen the relationship with the hundreds of thousands of visitors and workers that pass through each week.”
Sir George Iacobescu, Chairman and Chief Executive, Canary Wharf Group, said: ““Transport and digital connectivity puts Canary Wharf at the heart of modern London. The built environment here is amongst the most technologically advanced in the capital and the installation of wifi is a natural next step.”
“We’re pleased to partner with O2 Wifi to provide free accessible wifi to workers and visitors at Canary Wharf.”
“Our shopping malls are 100% let and amongst the most successful in London, featuring a broad spectrum of luxury brands and high street favourites. This makes them an extremely popular choice for retailers to integrate the latest technological advances for shopping destinations.”
Since launching just over two years ago O2 Wifi has added over 8,000 hotspots and six million customers to the service, making it the fastest growing wifi operator in the country**.
The state of the art hotspot network is widely available across thousands of venues nationwide including McDonald’s, Debenhams, Costa Coffee, House of Fraser, Fullers and Mitchells & Butlers pubs.
For more information, go to www.o2wifi.co.uk
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*Source – Canary Wharf Media
** Fastest growing wifi network as measured by growth in registered users
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