Install Vista, get free Wi-Fi

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Early adopters of Windows Vista are getting three months of free Wi-Fi access from hot-spot operator The Cloud.

"(Microsoft) chose us because of the extensive network coverage we have in the U.K., which is numerically far greater than some of the other Wi-Fi operators here," a representative of The Cloud told ZDNet UK on Thursday, adding that the operator is "delighted" with the partnership.

Those who have installed the newly released Microsoft operating system in the United States are currently able to take advantage of a similar hot-spot deal with T-Mobile. It is valid through April 30 when users sign up for a complimentary trial account, according to T-Mobile.

Vista users will be able to access The Cloud service by visiting Microsoft's U.K. Vista home page and signing up, according to The Cloud, though that site currently does not have promoted mention of the deal, purported by the official Windows Vista Magazine to begin Friday. The Cloud added that users would not have to give any credit card details to sign up for the three-month promotion.

The Cloud operates 7,500 Wi-Fi sites across the United Kingdom, with indoor hot spots in airports, railway stations and hotels, and outdoor "hotzones" in six city centers. The representative added that the company would offer Wi-Fi access across the financial heart of London as of the end of March.

David Meyer of ZDNet UK reported from London.