The Sports Journalists' Association (SJA) website revealed the scale of the charges after complaining to London 2012 officials when it emerged in April that organisers planned to charge.

The SJA pointed out that the high fees charged by organisers at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics and Paralympics had attracted worldwide negative publicity and that South African officials at the FIFA World Cup had provided free internet access for journalists covering the event.

Their plea, however, has fallen on deaf ears, despite London 2012 having an £80 million ($124 million) sponsorship deal with BT.

London 2012 claim that the charges are to pay for their "investments" in cabling every journalists’ work desk.

It is also understood that claims that they plan to raise £1.5 million through charging journalists attending the Olympics is wrong as that sum has been calculated on 10,000 media personnel signing up for internet access when, it is believed, the figure is not expected to be above 5,000.

Jayne Pearce, London 2012's head of press operations, wrote to the SJA: "A thorough review has been undertaken with regards to the needs of the media versus what can reliably be provided.

"It would have been relatively easy to provide a wireless solution at no cost.

"However, wireless is not 100 per cent reliable and simply cannot serve the sizes of media contingent we have at multiple venues at an Olympic Games.

"LOCOG will provide a cabled solution in all working environments (this represents some 6,800 tabled tribune desks, some 4700 Venue Media Centre desks and some 1600 Venue Photo Centre desks).

"In the past only the large international agencies had cabled access - they paid for a dedicated ADSL line at around US$ 500-600 (£318-£832) per line!

"So all media at the London Games will have the ability to have access to cabled internet and Info+ on their laptop."

According to Pearce's letter to the SJA each journalist will receive:

• An 8 meg (both up and down speeds) internet connection for a 30-day period

• Ability to plug into each and every press desk at every tribune and at every venue media centre desk (the first Games ever to cable every seat)

• Ability for photographers to plug at each and every desk at every venue photo centre (the first Games ever to cable every desk)

• Wireless in all media lounges in all venues and in all media conference rooms in all venues

• Info+ available on laptops via this connection (known as myInfo+) - whether inside or outside a venue (again, the first Games to do this) - plus the ability to cut and paste data directly from the system

• Full technical support

The fee, unlike Vancouver, will also be a one-off charge and cover both the Olympics and Paralympics.

Pearce wrote: "By opting for cabled access where practical rather than wireless we can ensure the robustness of the service.

“While some major events have indeed opted for free access we feel that this service, at an event the sheer scale of the Summer Olympic Games, is comprehensive, inclusive of many services not provided at such events and set at a price that is reasonable and non-profit making for LOCOG.

"There are many investments made by LOCOG and its suppliers, not least the extensive cabling mentioned above, to ensure this very important service."

To find out more about the work of the SJA click here.

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


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April 2010: London 2012 plan to charge media for internet access