LinkUK
{{Short description|WiFi infrastructure project}}
{{About|the phone box network|the cash machine network|LINK (UK)}}
{{Infobox company
| name = LinkUK
| image = File:Donegall Place, Belfast - geograph.org.uk - 6730368.jpg
| image_caption = Street Hub in Donegall Place, Belfast
| founded = {{start date and age|2016|10|25}}
| hq_location = London, England, United Kingdom
| area_served = Greater London; Sheffield; Birmingham; Portsmouth
| brands = LinkUK
| services = Wireless communication
| website = https://business.bt.com/public-sector/street-hubs/
| owner = Intersection, BT Group, Global}}
LinkUK or InLinkUK is an infrastructure project that planned to cover major cities in the United Kingdom with free Wi-Fi service. LinkUK kiosks, called Links, was initially rolled out in the London borough of Camden in 2017, and later in Lambeth, Hammersmith & Fulham and other boroughs. Afterwards, it was intended that Links would be installed in the remainder of Greater London and eventually across major cities in the UK. LinkUK is an expansion of the LinkNYC project covering New York City with free Wi-Fi service.
InLink Limited, the company set up to install and manage InLinkUK's WiFi kiosks, together with BT, Intersection and advertising firm Primesight, entered administration in 2019, casting doubt over the future of the project.{{cite web | last=Jackson | first=Mark | title=Company Behind BT InLinkUK WiFi Kiosks Enters Administration | website=ISPreview UK | date=18 December 2019 | url=https://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2019/12/company-behind-bt-inlinkuk-wifi-kiosks-enters-administration.html}} To resolve the problem, BT purchased the part of the InLink network that they did not already own,{{cite web | last=Jackson | first=Mark | title=BT to Purchase Entire UK Estate of InLinkUK WiFi Kiosks | website=ISPreview UK | date=23 December 2019 | url=https://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2019/12/bt-agree-to-purchase-entire-uk-estate-of-inlinkuk-wifi-kiosks.html}} and re-branded the kiosks as "Street Hubs",{{cite web | last=Jackson | first=Mark| title=BT Part Fixes InLink Kiosk Problem – Rebrands to Street Hubs | website=ISPreview UK | date=23 April 2020 | url=https://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2020/04/bt-part-fixes-inlink-kiosk-problem-rebrands-to-street-hubs.html}} and in 2021 launched the next, improved version.{{cite web | last=Jackson | first=Mark | title=ISP BT Launch Next Gen UK WiFi Street Hub Kiosks with 5G Boost | website=ISPreview UK | date=3 June 2021 | url=https://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2021/06/isp-bt-launch-next-gen-uk-wifi-street-hub-kiosks-with-5g-boost.html}}
History
In 2015, BT Group sought an advertising partner to maintain advertisements situated in its 17,500 telephone booths across the UK. BT ultimately partnered with Intersection, the owner of LinkNYC, and Primesight, a London-based advertising agency. BT will remove certain telephone booths for the Links and provide the network infrastructure. In return, Intersection and Primesight will display advertising on two dedicated screens on the kiosks.
In 2018, Primesight was acquired by Global Media & Entertainment.{{cite news |last1=Ram |first1=Aliya |title=Global Media pushes into outdoor ads with £200m deals |url=https://www.ft.com/content/0c91ecec-bcf0-11e8-8274-55b72926558f |work=Financial Times |date=20 September 2018}}
Services
The Links will provide free Wi-Fi access with speeds up to 1 gigabit per second, while displays on both sides of the Link will display digital advertisements. The Links feature a tablet, two USB charging ports, and a phone providing free calling to UK numbers. Devices can access the Links' network without time or access limits. Each Link's tablet will provide basic functionality, such as maps and access to emergency services.{{cite web| url=https://www.wanaport.com/ |title= Wanaport hotel wifi services }} Sunday, 6 June 2021
As of 2021, the kiosks also show news headlines from Global's radio station LBC.{{cite web |last1=McCarthy |first1=John |title=‘Watch this space!’: BT on how interactive Street Hub 2.0 fits into OOH media mix |url=https://www.thedrum.com/news/2021/09/23/watch-space-bt-how-interactive-street-hub-20-fits-ooh-media-mix |website=The Drum |access-date=5 March 2025 |date=23 September 2021}}
Complaints
While LinkNYC was being rolled out, kiosks' web browsers were being used to access inappropriate content such as pornography. Amid this concern, LinkUK kiosks' tablets will not have a web browser.
In the UK there have been complaints that the free phone service is being exploited by drug dealers.{{Cite news|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/bt-digital-kiosks_uk_5b96aa2ae4b0511db3e4fda8|title=BT Digital Kiosks Expansion Halted After Claims They're 'Used Mainly For Drug Dealing'|website=Huffington Post UK|first=Steven|last=Hopkins|date=10 September 2017}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.hamhigh.co.uk/news/crime/camden-council-stop-new-bt-inlink-phone-kiosk-due-to-3620936|title=Dial a dealer: Camden to stop roll-out of new BT InLink kiosks after they get used by drug dealers|website=Hampstead and Highgate Express|first=Harry|last=Taylor|date=7 June 2018}}
External links
- [https://www.inlinkuk.com/ LinkUK website] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171021155443/https://www.inlinkuk.com/ |date=2017-10-21 }}
- [https://www.inlinkuk.com/find-an-inlink.html Kiosk location map] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180920011428/https://www.inlinkuk.com/find-an-inlink.html |date=2018-09-20 }}