English stadiums to get free wi-fi for some apps

England’s Football League has announced that free wi-fi, for a particular set of official apps, will be made available at Championship, League One and League Two stadiums.

Fans will be able to access club-branded apps to get news, social media content, highlights and betting.

However access to the wider internet would not be possible.

The Football League said “the majority” of clubs had signed up to participate in the deal.

A full list of confirmed participating clubs will be announced after 30 June.

British wi-fi provider Intechnology will implement the service.

In an online article, the Football League said the service would “deliver the complete digital match day experience to supporters”.

The free wi-fi would come as a boon to fans who had been frustrated with overloaded mobile networks at half-time, according to Intechnology chief executive Peter Wilkinson.

Having to use 3G or 4G services could also be expensive, he added.

However, wi-fi at sports events does not always prove popular with fans.

In 2014, supporters at PSV Eindhoven in the Netherlands protested against the introduction of wi-fi at their club’s stadium, saying spectators should pay attention to what is happening on the pitch, not their smartphones.

Source: BBC