Hot Spots: WiFi on the Go

WiFi hotspots are all the rage now in the field of mobile wireless Internet communication. The recent success of the agreement forged between T Mobile Wireless and Starbucks to provide wireless ISP (Internet Service Provider) access in the latter's coffee houses has increasingly garnered users who want to be online in a pleasant, public place (and drink good coffee.) Given the increasing availability of WiFi Internet connections in such venues, this new technology is changing how and where people do their work and the role the Internet plays in our daily lives.

What is WiFi and Where is It Available in Public?

WiFi is simply a brand licensed to describe the underlying technology behind WLAN or Wireless Local Area Networks, based on traditional 802.11 wireless data standards. Any person who has a WiFi-enabled device like a laptop, cell phone or personal digital assistant can (if granted access through a commercial account or over an open network) connect to the Internet when in close proximity to a wireless accent point. A region covered by one or several wireless access points is referred to as a hotspot. Such connectivity has become increasingly possible in office buildings, coffee shops, airports, and hotels.

Through the T-Mobile/Starbucks partnership patrons can connect wirelessly for $6 an hour or pay a monthly rate of $29.95. With the number of free WiFi hotspots on the rise, however, there was debate as to whether this partnership would be successful. Apparently though it has been. Deutsche Telecom, the parent corporation for T-Mobile Wireless, reported gross earnings of $1.4 million per month, up from $400,000 the previous year.

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