MILLIONTH WI-FI HOTSPOT FOUND

A Leicester social club is celebrating after being unveiled as BT's one millionth Wi-Fi hotspot in the UK.

Club Triangle in Coleman Road, Leicester, which uses BT Business Broadband, recently installed the service, to allow regulars and visitors to connect to the internet.

As well as the prestige of being the millionth hot-spot, owner Kalpesh Veja has won the opportunity to attend BT's "Thanks a Million" party at the top of the BT Tower in London in May and will be attending a Premiership football match as the company's guest.

A plaque will be unveiled at the club to mark the milestone.

Kalpesh Veja said: "I'm shocked and delighted. It's a great honour to win this. It gives our members an extra reason to come to the club. Now, anyone with a Wi-Fi device like an iPhone can log on without having to leave the premises."

The BT Business Total Broadband hub provides a free public Wi-Fi hotspot as part of the broadband service. Any business can offer visitors Wi-Fi via a separate, secure channel - either for free or by selling BT Openzone vouchers. It is particularly suitable for smaller firms in the hospitality industry like restaurants, hotels, pubs and cafes.

Andrew Bacon, BT regional director for the East Midlands, said: "It is fantastic that the millionth hotspot is in this region.

"Whether at home, at work or out and about, wireless access is central to keeping people and communities better connected. We've already announced a million in the UK and Ireland, which includes 75,000 in the East Midlands, and will continue to add more to meet demand from smart-phone, laptop, iPod and now e-reader users.

"This is yet another important milestone, in augmenting the work we are doing in driving high speed connectivity throughout the area."

Finding the location of the millionth BT Wi-Fi hot spot was subject to a competition on Twitter. Six clues were listed on the site over a three-week period to lead users to the lucky Leicester club.

BT announced the million-strong Wi-Fi estate in February. It comprises hotspots at independent businesses and homes, plus well-known brands including Hilton, Thistle, Ramada Jarvis and Macdonald hotel chains, Caffe Nero and Starbucks coffee stores, Welcome Break and RoadChef Costa service stations, British Airways, Star Alliance, American Airlines and SkyTeam airport lounges plus other UK transport hubs.