In message , at 11:43:20 on
Thu, 25 Oct 2012, Paul Corfield remarked:
"Until early 2013 we're giving everyone full internet access. After
that, full internet access will be available to customers of Virgin
Media and selected networks, as well as on a Pay As You Go basis."

I've got an Android Phone that'll take a Virgin SIM, does that mean this
wifi would be free for me? On the way to London today, will try out the
free wifi for the first time.

It is free for everybody at the moment regardless of network.

I was asking about post early 2013.

I have a Virgin PAYG phone but have only managed minimal usage of the
tube wi-fi - principally because I have not had minutes to wait for a
train and my local station is not yet equipped. Trying to log on from
a train while it pauses at a station is just about impossible as the
dwelll time is too short.

What are you trying to log into? I'd hope something like a Twitter or
Facebook account could grab a useful amount of information in just a few
seconds.

When the scheme launched the only Virgin customers indentified for
future free access were those who take a Virgin Media broadband / TV
*and* phone service. People like me on PAYG would continue to pay
which I find a tad pathetic. I was not terribly happy that as a Virgin
customer for years I get no apparent "benefit" from this wi-fi scheme.

The reason why most operators are rolling out free-wifi is to get low
priority traffic off their GSM/3G networks, which they can't build out
fast enough to cope with the demand. But if they are providing wifi in
places without GSM/3G coverage, then that business model looks less
attractive, but could be justified as a way to get people used to wifi
at all.
--
Roland Perry