3 million broadband customers are encouraged to share their WiFi

I've been a member of the FON community more or less since its inception. With a 34.44 Euro (and, in the early stages, free) wireless router from FON we make our broadband freely available to anyone within reach of our router. FON members get free access. Non-members pay an hourly rate.

FON, which is a business not a philanthropic operation, is impressively international in its tone.

According to  FON, BT, the UK's biggest provider of ADSL broadband, has announced that it is integrating FON into BT, and is inviting more than 3 million customers "to join the enormous global community of people sharing their WiFi".

The cynic in me says there must be a catch?

A reader comments by email: "I don't think there's reason to be cynical. I presume BT gets a split on the daily fees Fon charges non-Fon members for using a Fon member's wifi. I think and assume it's a straightforward commercial, money-making deal for BT. And for Fon."]

[8/10/2007 update: see The Register's "BT says its WiFi kibbutz is not targeting 3G".]