Tesco Shoppers To Get Free In-Store BT Wi-Fi

Mike Moore,
supermarket on phone

Supermarket chain teams up with BT to offer free connection across UK stores

Tesco customers will now be able to enjoy free Wi-Fi whilst they shop following a new deal to provide superfast internet in stores.

The supermarket giant has teamed up with BT to provide free Wi-Fi to 806 Tesco Extra and Superstores across the UK as well as 113 stores in the Republic of Ireland.

The agreement will use BT’s ‘superfast’ Wi-Fi service where available to provide up to 76MBps download speeds, giving customers a fast and hopefully reliable connection.

Tesco store carpark shop logo © JuliusKielaitis ShutterstockShop till you drop

To access the new networks, customers should simply select ‘Tesco Wi-Fi’ or ‘BT’ on their smartphones or tablets and they can begin browsing.

“Connectivity is becoming an important part of the customer experience,” said Luis Alvarez, CEO, BT global services.

“From retailing to banking, customers expect the same connectivity in high-street stores, cafes and bank branches as they get in their homes or workplaces. The BT Wi-Fi partnership with Tesco gives customers the connectivity they expect. It also creates a platform for Tesco to further bring the in-store and online shopping experience closer together for the benefit of its customers.”

Tesco hopes the new and improved networks will allow customers to download Clubcard vouchers, get product information, browse recipes and take advantage of the latest in-store offers much quicker and more conveniently than before.

“Customers now want the same kind of experience in-store as they enjoy online, with fast and convenient access to product information, pricing and offers at the touch of their fingertips,” said Tomas Kadlec, Tesco’s group technology director.

“We were the first supermarket in the UK to offer free Wi-Fi and the first to launch online shopping. We’re now bringing these innovations together to put our customers in control with better service and value than ever before.”

The move is the latest in a series of announcements from Tesco as it looks to step up its technology capabilities. Last month, the company carried out a trial of mobile payment methods for the first time as it seeks to keep track with its rivals, many of whom have introduced the technology already.

Tesco also launched the second incarnation of its own-brand tablet, the Hudl 2, last month, following the surprising success of the original, which proved a hit with consumers looking for a low-cost Android device.

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