BT Openzone, the wi-fi service provider arm of BT, has launched a global roaming voucher scheme which will give access to 1,200 hotel hotspots around the world. The scheme has been made possible through a tie-up with iBahn, which provides broadband services in hotel chains around the world, including Hilton, Marriott, InterContinental, and Best Western.

The vouchers, which give 500 minutes’ access, cost £28 for use in the US, Canada, Brazil and Argentina and £40 for use in Europe (France, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, Switzerland, the Netherlands and Denmark). As well as the confusing pricing, there are different usage requirements: the US voucher has to be used withn 7 days of first logging in and the European voucher within 14 days.

Chris Bruce, general manager of BT Openzone, said: “More than ever before the building blocks are in place to provide widespread coverage and cheaper calls for those who want to call home or access the internet when abroad using wi-fi. The international travel voucher makes business travel simple, convenient and hassle-free and our agreement with iBahn gives travellers even more opportunity to take advantage of it.”

“For too long, travellers have had no choice but to be forced onto high roaming charges when making calls outside the UK. Even customers who pick up their phone whilst abroad face huge hidden charges for receiving incoming calls. Thanks to the new voucher, travellers have a choice and can make cheap calls with a convenient voucher in a whole host of locations – on the internet there is no such thing as a charge for an incoming call.”