Initially, the bank has implemented the technology at nearly 800 branches, and in second phase it plans to roll it out at the remaining facilities.
The Wi-Fi service will enable customers to use any wireless-enabled PC, tablet or smartphone to connect to the internet, download its mobile banking apps including Pingit.
They can also connect to the bank’s website and other internet pages at a faster rate than 3G, the bank said.
Offered and administered by BT as a ‘white label’ service, the technology will be visible to the public in branches as ‘BarclaysFreeWifi’.
Free in-store Wi-fi access was high on the most-wanted list for consumers in the UK, Germany, Spain and the US, according to a research report by BT’s Youbiquity.
Around 41% banking customers participants said that free Wi-fi would greatly improve their in-branch experience.
Trading in more than 50 nations, Barclays employs nearly 140,000 people and delivers personal banking, credit cards, corporate and investment banking and wealth and investment management services.
