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The Cloud Hits 1 Billion Minutes Since January 1st 2013; Largest usage figures in company history further highlights the increasing strength of the WiFi industry(M2 PressWIRE Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) The Cloud, the biggest provider of public WiFi on Britain's high streets, has announced it now has over 7 million registered users and they have connected to its WiFi network for over 1 billion minutes since the start of 2013. The figures follow a successful 2012 for The Cloud and lay the foundations for further growth in 2013. The Cloud's growth comes as the mobile device market continues to boom. Smartphone ownership is at an all-time high, with Ofcom stating two in every five UK adults now own a smartphone*, while 2013 looks set to be the year of the tablet - YouGov has predicted UK tablet ownership will hit 10 million devices**. The Cloud's network doubled in size in 2012, and it now has over 16,000 hotspots in high streets up and down the UK, with venues such as M&S, WHSmith, Greggs and Greene King pubs now offering their customers access to The Cloud. An estimated 7 million people pass through The Cloud's WiFi network every day. * Ofcom: The Communications Market December 2012 http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/binaries/research/cmr/cmr12/UK_4.pdf ** YouGov Tablet Tracker: http://yougov.co.uk/news/2012/09/11/tablets-nearly-double-2013/ Press contact details: The Cloud Lorna Hughes or Hugo Deacon Harvard PR 020 7861 2800 [email protected] About The Cloud The Cloud (www.thecloud.net) builds and operates Wi-Fi networks across the UK and Europe to provide the mobile media experience that consumers want. The service delivers simple, fast, reliable and cost effective broadband to millions of Wi-Fi enabled smartphones, laptops and entertainment devices. The Cloud has exclusive commercial partnerships with retail, leisure, hotels, sports, transport, and entertainment and content partners to deliver its longer-term vision of a connected society. The Cloud has over 7 million registered users connecting for over 200 million minutes a week at over 16,000 live locations such as the Emirates Stadium, Silverstone Race Track, the City of London, Wetherspoon, PizzaExpress, Caffe Nero, Eat, pubs, leisure facilities, restaurants and mainline stations. Approximately 7 million people pass through The Cloud network everyday by visiting one of its partners, including major outlets such as WHSmith, PizzaExpress, Greggs, Pret and Wagamama, as well as First Great Western and Network Rail stations. The Cloud is a BSkyB Company. Emileigh Laidlaw Account Executive 26 Southampton Buildings London WC2A 1PQ Direct Line +44 (0)20 7861 2800 www.harvard.co.uk ((M2 Communications disclaims all liability for information provided within M2 PressWIRE. Data supplied by named party/parties. Further information on M2 PressWIRE can be obtained at http://www.presswire.net on the world wide web. Inquiries to [email protected])). (c) 2013 M2 COMMUNICATIONS |