[Satellite TODAY 01-25-11] U.K. operator BSkyB is in negotiations to acquire Wi-Fi hotspot network The Cloud to provide BSkyB’s 2.8 million home broadband customers with access to broadband away from home, the News Corp.-owned Sunday Times reported Jan. 23.
    The Cloud has a network of 22,000 publicly accessible Wi-Fi hotspots around Europe. Sky’s operation of The Cloud would resemble the way rival BT offers its subscribers Internet access via its BT OpenZone network, the report said.
    If the acquisition were to go through, it would put The Cloud in direct competition with BT’s Content Connect pay-to-stream service, which offers video content providers with service streamed from localized servers.
    News Corp. has been considering a takeover of BSkyB, which also is owned by Rupert Murdoch.