Sky is reported to be in talks to purchase The Cloud. The News Corp-owned broadcaster and ISP is said to be in discussions to buy The Cloud, which is a public Wi-FI network, supplying wireless internet services to more than 22,000 locations throughout Europe.

According to the Sunday Times [paywall] - also owned by News Corp - the deal would offer Sky's 2.8 million home broadband users access to the internet via pay-to-access networks located in public spaces throughout Britain.

Sky rival BT operates BTOpenZone, which offers 65,000 wireless hotspots throughout Britain. It has recently begun promoting to its customers the idea of accessing home broadband accounts in the mobile space. With an existing mobile TV customer base, Sky could offer similar services and more to its broadband customers.

According to the report in the Sunday Times, “Sky already offers its subscribers sport and news content on their mobiles but this deal promises to improve the service.”

As mobile phone operators start to put the squeeze on GSM data limits, and tablet PCs grow in popularity, the ability to access content on the move, over Wi-Fi, becomes more attractive.

http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/news/index.c ... ID=3257838

And people think it's Google you have to be wary of

I will never support Sky by buying a subscription, and I don't buy any of Murdoch's papers, so don't blame me.

You mean you've been ignoring all the propaganda?

When I move I will be taking up Sky's unlimited broadband because there are no caps. In which case I hope that it will an add on or free be for Sky ISP customers. Other than that I do not see a problem with the take over. Though I would not want the dirty digger to take over SKy completely.