Five of the largest cable firms in the US are to link up their Wi-Fi networks across the country to create an alternative to mobile operator data networks for smartphone and tablet users.

Bright House Networks, Cablevision, Comcast, Cox Communications and Time Warner Cable announced yesterday that they will enable each other’s high-speed Internet customers to access their metro Wi-Fi networks, totalling over 50,000 hotspots. The deal is described as “the largest and most inclusive Wi-Fi sharing effort among cable operators to date.”

The new network will be called ‘CableWiFi’ and currently covers New York City and the surrounding Tri-State area, Los Angeles, Tampa, Orlando, and Philadelphia. The operators plan to continue to grow the number of Wi-Fi hotspots and expand into several additional cities. The initiative is already up and running in New York and central Florida.

Over the next few months, the ‘CableWiFi’ network name will be added by each of the cable companies to their branded Wi-Fi hotspots. Initially, a customer of one of the participating companies can connect to the network outside of their home market using their existing credentials. However, the consortium says that users will soon be able to have their devices auto-connect to the Internet when located in any of the ‘Cable WiFi’ hotspots.

"We believe that Wi-Fi is a superior approach to mobile data, and that cable providers are best positioned to build the highest-capacity national network offering customers fast and reliable Internet connections when away from their home or business broadband service," said Cablevision SVP Kristin Dolan.