A Wi-Fi Payoff from Pay Phones?
John Donavan of wireless consultancy InCode Telecom explains how these relics can provide an ideal way for carriers to enter the market
In the past several years, so-called Wi-Fi hot spots -- which enable anyone with a laptop and a wireless card to get high-speed Internet access -- have been put into thousands of cafes, airport lounges, and hotel rooms. The service has come courtesy of specialized wireless Internet service providers, with established wireless and phone companies observing from the sidelines. Now that the market has grown and looks lucrative, established phone companies are jumping in. Already, No. 3 wireless-service provider AT&T Wireless (AWE ) offers Wi-Fi access through an ISP partner. And it has teamed up with chipmaker Intel (INTC ) and computing giant IBM (IBM ) to offer wholesale nationwide Wi-Fi access.
John Donavan of wireless consultancy InCode Telecom explains how these relics can provide an ideal way for carriers to enter the market
In the past several years, so-called Wi-Fi hot spots -- which enable anyone with a laptop and a wireless card to get high-speed Internet access -- have been put into thousands of cafes, airport lounges, and hotel rooms. The service has come courtesy of specialized wireless Internet service providers, with established wireless and phone companies observing from the sidelines. Now that the market has grown and looks lucrative, established phone companies are jumping in. Already, No. 3 wireless-service provider AT&T Wireless (AWE ) offers Wi-Fi access through an ISP partner. And it has teamed up with chipmaker Intel (INTC ) and computing giant IBM (IBM ) to offer wholesale nationwide Wi-Fi access.
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