BSkyB is set to double the number of wi-fi hotspots it operates in the UK to 10,000 sites by the end of the year as The Cloud, its mobile broadband division, continues to add substantial numbers of new customers to its network.

The Cloud, which the satellite broadcaster acquired for almost £50 million in January, has signed up Nintendo as a new wholesale customer. Nintendo will allow its 3DS customers to link to The Cloud free of charge.

Steve Nicholson, managing director of The Cloud, said that the takeover by BSkyB means it can better compete with the likes of BT, the largest operator of wi-fi hotspots in the country, in winning new business from companies looking to offer wi-fi. “Our ambition is to double the size of our network by Christmas. Our problem is how to scale from a relatively small business to deliver what Sky wants to achieve without the wheels coming off,” he said.