The Market Outfit

Cashbox, one of the UK’s largest ATM providers, is planning to set up free WiFi connections within their ATM booths by 2014. Openzone will be the WiFi service provider.

As of now, Cashbox has nearly 2,500 ATMs spanning the UK. It provides funds to customers in places where there aren’t many other banks, but charges a small fee. When the WiFi hotspots are set up, mobile internet access will be available in many areas that are still not well-developed. What’s the fuss about mobile internet? - click here for an explanation on the importance of mobile broadband.

To start with, only ten Cashbox ATMs will be equipped with WiFi by Openzone, as part of a trial run. However, if the idea is popular, the service will be provided in many other branches. Cashbox ATMs in Tiger Tiger outlets in London, Glasgow and Manchester will be the first ones to receive internet connectivity.

Ciaran Morton, the CEO of Cashbox, said that some locations are higher on their priority list, but that they intend to soon provide WiFi across all other branches. He stated that the profit will be shared in an agreed proportion between Cashbox and Openzone, depending on the number of minutes of internet use per site.

Gadgets like O2, iPhone, iPass, Boingo, etc. can also be used to access the WiFi internet service. If everything goes as planned, this mode of internet access will soon become the most easily available form of communication in the UK.