Wi-Fi rolled out across hundreds of HSBC branches

Wi-Fi rolled out across hundreds of HSBC branches

HSBC has confirmed that it has installed free Wi-Fi across hundreds of its branches, allowing customers to browse the internet on their smartphones and tablets while waiting in the banks.

Customers will also be encouraged to download and make use of the bank’s app and manage their accounts on their smartphones, with more than 600 locations set up to help them access the app in branches.

Barclays initially launched free Wi-Fi across its 1,600 branches early last year and HSBC is now following in its footsteps. Research carried out by BT and Avaya recently found that 49 per cent of UK banking customers believed that free Wi-Fi would "greatly improve their in-branch experience".

Head of digital at HSBC in the UK, Carl Howard, told IT Pro: “We've been listening to our customers about how we can make banking easier for them, and they tell us they like the idea of mobile banking, but in some cases would value being shown how it works.

"Our branch staff can now demo our Mobile Banking app in branch to get people started, as well as demonstrating how new mobile payment service Paym allows customers to pay their contacts using just a mobile number."

While some remain concerned about sending sensitive information from locations other than their home computers, a HSBC spokeswoman confirmed that the bank was using the latest and most secure protocols in order to protect users from cyber hackers. If the trial of Wi-Fi is initially successful, the bank has said that it will be rolled out to more of its 1,132 branches across the UK.

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