NEW DEAL TAKES WI-FI GLOBAL 15/11/2004

Further expanding the accessibility of Wi-Fi technology is the one of the keys to growth within this developing field, and a new deal between some of the biggest Wi-Fi operators looks set to take wireless accessibility worldwide. The group, which includes BT, T-Mobile, Telecom Italia and Australia’s Telstra, has recently agreed to unite and share its global hotspots, giving wireless users immediate access to more than 20,000 Wi-Fi hotspots in eleven countries around the world.

Allowing far greater freedom for users to wirelessly connect in any of the worldwide hotspots, the icing on the cake is the announcement that no members of the group will impose charges on other people’s customers for the reminder of 2004. However, once we enter 2005, as yet unreleased charges will be applied to any Wi-Fi users accessing hotspots provided by operators other than their primary supplier.

Recently speaking on the deal, Chairman of the Wireless Broadband Alliance (WBA) Kyong Yu was quoted as saying “This announcement redefines the way that international travellers will stay connected whilst travelling internationally. For the first time ever, the customers of our participating carriers will be able to travel across broader international wireless networks with just one account".

Time will tell what the relevant charges will be and whether they will prove as accessible as the deal itself. For now however, this union represents yet another huge step towards global wireless accessibility, and takes the technology ever closer to its goal of enabling users to wirelessly connect anywhere in the world.

Contact:
www.wirelessbroadbandalliance.com