Roadchef motorway services now offers Free Wi-Fi

After my post last week on boycotting paid-for wireless internet access services, I was surprised to see that Roadchef, operators of 20 motorway service stations across the UK, have, it appears, launched free wireless internet for their visitors.

I report this on the back of my brief stop off over the weekend at the Watford Gap Roadchef to get some fuel. I didn’t go inside and check out the free internet. Instead I just did a QIK and headed back to the car (I was on a time limit).

I think it’s reasonable to infer that every other Roadchef is offering free internet — via BT’s Openzone service. The next time you’re at a Roadchef, check it out and let me know? I had a look on their site but found no reference to the free WiFi.

It looks to me that Roadchef have done a deal with BT Openzone to take care of the charges that would normally apply to customers. Here’s my ‘geez, free wifi?’ QIK video:

By the way: I was up in Bolton, near Manchester, at the weekend watching the local team thrash Sunderland a fairly satisfying 2-0. For the benefit of the Americans who emailed me about Football on Saturday, here’s the QIK of the Sunderland fans getting stuck in: