BT’s WiFi service now has more than 5 million hotspots in homes and commercial properties across the UK and Ireland, having added more than 20,000 new hotspots every week during the past 12 months.

The company says more than 400 million connections were made on its WiFi networks between April 2012 and March 2013.

Hazel Allsopp of Purple WiFi writes:

Retail and hospitality businesses have long been aware of the need to offer free WiFi access to their customers. The use of smart phones is becoming increasingly widespread, and people expect to get online wherever they are, whatever they’re doing.

The latest large brand to recognise this is Intercontinental Hotels Group, who announced last month that they would be offering free access to 71 million loyalty scheme members’ worldwide. The decision was made in response to a survey in which 43% of guests said they wouldn’t stay in a hotel if it didn’t offer free WiFi.