AirCell and American Airlines have just announced that they will be testing broadband services beginning in 2008. The goal is to enable passengers to use their laptops, PDAs, iPhones and BlackBerrys, and portable gaming systems.
AirCell is the leader in global airborne communications and its products are found in many commercial airplanes. In 2006 AirCell won the FCC’s exclusive broadband frequency license which gives them a unque air-to-ground network, making in-flight high-speed broadband service is possible.
American Airlines is very excited about this possibility and says that its customers list broadband access as one of their top wishes for future flights.
Continue reading ‘AirCell And American Airlines to Launch In-Flight Wi-Fi Service Over U.S.’
If you’re in London and looking for free Wi-Fi this is just the site for you. The Londonist has set up a map with the aim of recording all of the bars, pubs, and coffee shops that offer free Wi-Fi access.
While mapping they’ve noticed that some large areas of London seem to have free Wi-Fi services including Upper Street, Leicester Square and the residential area of Marylebone.
It is also to be noted that The Cloud, or London’s version of Muni Wi-Fi, covers the entire area but the service is only free for a month and they you have to sign up and pay a fee to receive service.
Via [londonist.com]
Continue reading ‘Free Wi-Fi In London…Mapped’
The Michigan police arrested Sam Peterson for using from his car the free WiFi network that Union Street Cafe has reserved solely for its customers. Peterson escaped the penalty of five-year imprisonment and paying a $10,000 fee, as prescribed by the state’s “fraudulent access to computers, computer systems, and computer networks” law. Prosecutors only demanded that he pay a $400 fine and perform 40 hours of community service, arguing that Peterson was possibly unaware that he broke the law. The arrest will not be reflected on his record as well.
Authorities in other states have made similar arrests. In 2005, a Florida man was charged with a third degree felony for tapping an open WiFi network from his SUV. Last year, an Illinois resident pleaded guilty for using an unsecured WiFi network from his car while someone in Washington was apprehended for parking outside a coffee shop and using the store’s WiFi connection without buying anything. This year, a man in Alaska had a similar fate after hours of piggybacking on the public library’s wireless network to play games from his car in the parking lot.
Via [arstechnica.com]
Continue reading ‘Michigan Man Arrested For Using Cafe’s Free WiFi From His Car’
And now for the information that travelers absolutely must have. Which hotels provide the best Wi-Fi services as reported by HotelChatter.com. First the bad news, rather than more hotels providing free internet its gone the other way. More hotels are limiting or restricting the availability of their Wi-Fi services and trying to make an extra buck in the process. The top ranking hotel, Marriott, still provides free Wi-Fi in the lobby and in the rooms. And this service is fast and reliable. Included under the Marriott label are Residence Inns, SpringHill Suites, and Courtyard hotels. For high-end, luxury travelers then the Andre Balazs or Jeff Klein hotels are for you. These hotels provide the service completely complimentary and only require that you register with the front desk and get a Wi-Fi code. In California the JDV Hospitality ranks up there for their quick and easy, and most importantly, free internet service. And also making honorable mention are the Omni Hotels. Although the advertised price is $9.99 per day you can get around this charge by joining the Select Guest Program or get free service in the lobby.
Via [hotelchatter.com]
Continue reading ‘Best WiFi Hotels 2007′
People who work in and visit the City of London can now have broadband Wi-Fi connection anytime, thanks to a network provided by The Cloud, Europe’s largest Wi-Fi network operator. “We feel it is important to provide this technology to maintain our position as the world’s leading international financial centre,” remarked Michael Snyder, who chairs the City of London’s Policy Committee. “The City is a fast-moving and dynamic environment and we are responding to the increasing time pressures faced by City workers by providing the technology for them to stay up to date, wherever they are in the City.”
The network is equipped by BelAir Networks’ advanced mobile broadband mesh technology, which connected 127 nodes installed in lamp posts and street signs. Over the next month, The Cloud, together with Nokia, will hold promotional activities, including free access for the first month. Aside from high speed Internet and email access, the network promises voice, music, video, gaming and other entertainment services over Wi-Fi, and can work with service providers such as O2, BT Openzone, iPass, Truphone and Skype.
Via [govtech.net]
Continue reading ‘City Of London Fires Up Europe’s Most Advanced Wi-Fi Network’
Is a Fon subscription right for you? Fon is a start-up wireless broadband network that uses other people’s bandwidth to get its clients online. Currently many people use someone else’s open WiFi network to get online, a practice that is generally a violation of the subscriber’s service contract. But that may soon change. Time Warner Cable has signed a deal with Fon that lets its user share their unused bandwidth with Fon customers. Meaning that Fon customers can now use these WiFi services worldwide and, in some cases, the ISP and subscriber will see a small profit for sharing.
Via [forbes.com]
Continue reading ‘Fon’s New Friend - Time Warner Cable’
Southwest Airlines is looking to add WiFi services to its flights. They’re hoping to begin rolling out a prototype within the next nine months. Eventually, the plan is that travelers will not only be able to access their email but also have more entertainment options during their flights. The appeal of WiFi during long flights is apparent and several other airlines have responded by saying they are also looking into offering this service.
Via [denverpost.com]
Continue reading ‘Southwest Reaching For Wi-Fi In Sky’
Locating a HotSpot has been made easy by the new Asterisk WiFi Hotspot Finder plugin. All you need to do is get Asterisk — an open source VoIP phone system — and install it in your PC. You also need to have a VoIP-to-POTS (normal phone service) provider, a phone system, and the Flite voice synthesizer or Asterisk-based telephony platform application TrixBox. Once the PBX is activated, download the plugin. Modification of the Asterisk dialplan is required to enable extension 9434 to call the plugin script. After installing the script, compose a directory for the speech files, then reload Asterisk. Now you are ready to use the application. Once you dial W-I-F-I or 9434 and key in the zip code, the plugin will perform a quick search, pass the text to the voice synthesizer and utter the information over the phone.
Via [arstechnica.com]
Continue reading ‘Find WiFi By Phoning Home Using Asterisk’
Following approval by the Federal Communications Commission and the Federal Aviation Administration, AirCell announced it will bring in-flight Internet service in airlines, which passengers can avail of starting early next year. In 2006, the airplane cabin communications company shelled out $31.3 million to own spectrum formerly used for pricey air-phone service, which it will now devote to Internet and cellphone service.
Under the plan, AirCell promises to finish installing equipment, which weighs less than 100 pounds, on the cabin overnight. The gear will serve as a Wi-Fi hotspot and enables laptop computers and devices such as a Wi-Fi-enabled Blackberry to access the Internet. Blumenstein said passengers will pay no more than $10 per day for the service and sees partnerships with T-Mobile, iPass and Boingo. He expects speeds of the in-flight service to be similar to that on the ground. The service, however, will not allow VoIP calls except when pilots, flight attendants and air marshals need to speak with people on the ground concerning scheduling, safety and security issues.
Via [online.wsj.com]
Continue reading ‘WiFi In The Sky: Airlines Prepare Cabin Hotspots’
Technology has now made gaps in cell phone coverage a thing of the past, that is if there is a Wi-Fi Hotspot nearby. Smart phones, complete with Wi-Fi capabilities are hitting the market, albeit slowly, and allow you to make VoIP phone calls, check email, read the latest news and other activities via the internet. As with all new technology, there are plusses and minuses to using smart phone but the biggest plus is you have the option of using the phone in a traditional cellular mode or switching to a Wi-Fi connection. Look for future improvements to include more options that are less expensive.
Via [google.com]
Continue reading ‘Google Announces Free In-home Wireless Broadband Service’
London has the most number of people connecting to Wi-Fi hotspots at non-business locations, according to a new study by iPass. The British capital, the report said, had over 11,000 access sessions at areas such as cafes and bookshops over a period of six months. The volume is twice that of Singapore. The iPass Wi-Fi hotspot index showed a 75 percent jump in U.K. access sessions from July to December 2006, with Heathrow airport as the most popular spot, followed by Gatwick airport. Similar trend is seen in Europe - European WiFi access sessions rose by 74 percent. Growth of global Wi-Fi use, however, is lower, only rising by 44 percent.
Via [vnunet.com]
Continue reading ‘London Takes International WiFi Crown’
Silicon.com continues with its Fair Wi-Fi campaign, which urges hotels in the U.K. to be more transparent as to how they charge customers for Wi-Fi use. Today, hotel Wi-Fi prices vary some charge a flat fee of £50 while others impose an hourly rate of £5.
According to Graeme Powell, MD of iBahn, knowing the costs of installing a wireless network and ensuring the quality of service is crucial in determining whether hotels are ripping off their guests. Powell said deploying a Wi-Fi network in an average-sized hotel of between 200 and 300 rooms would amount to £30,000. But in the U.K. the equation would include the build and age of the building.
Tony Walsh, development manager at hotel bookings firm LateRooms.com, argued that hotels should regard Wi-Fi access as a regular feature considering the increasing demand for the service. He conceded that setting up a wireless network would be costly, but the service would bring long-term benefits in the form of repeat bookings from Wi-Fi hungry business travelers.
Via [silicon.com]
Continue reading ‘Fair Wi-Fi: Are Hotels Really Fleecing Guests?’
