Hot Spot
Starbucks Adds New Way to Get Free Wi-Fi
Starbucks has launched its Gold card, a paid membership with Wi-Fi included: The Starbucks Gold card was in testing for some time in Seattle--the outlet near my office has had a Gold logo in the windo ....... read more
Wed,
12 Nov 2008
Wayport Acquisition Puts AT&T at Top; Boingo Still Has Leverage
Wayport acquisition by AT&T makes me go whoompf: Yesterday's announcement that AT&T would purchase hotspot operator Wayport for $275m in cash gave me pause for reflection. I started covering the Wi-Fi ....... read more
Fri,
07 Nov 2008
Breaking News: AT&T Buys Wayport; WPA's TKIP Cracked?; Virgin America Sets Launch Date
It's always in threes: Three big pieces of Wi-Fi news today, folks, and I'll post more information as I have it.
Wayport is being purchased for $275m by AT&T: This is a purely logical move, because ....... read more
Thu,
06 Nov 2008
Boingo Tweaks Rates, Raises Global Price
European wholesale prices for Wi-Fi require Boingo to move global plan higher, restrict minutes: Boingo has a few tweaks in the works for its worldwide hotspot plans. The good news first: Their subscr ....... read more
Thu,
16 Oct 2008
Devicescape Releases iPhone Connection Tool
Devicescape has gone legit on the iPhone, iPod touch: I was tired of entering hotspot passwords 15 months ago, a few days after I bought the first-generation (2.5G) iPhone. I've been waiting ever sinc ....... read more
Thu,
02 Oct 2008
AT&T Extends Free Wi-Fi to Cheapest DSL Plans
AT&T seems to have added free Wi-Fi for its lowest-priced DSL customers: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is the only one with this story, and they've garbled a few of the details, but checking AT&T's ....... read more
Tue,
16 Sep 2008
Zune Owners Get Free Wi-Fi at McDonald's
Microsoft signs three-year deal with Wayport for old and new Zune owners alike: This is a nice win for Zune users, Wayport, and McDonald's, each in their own way, and it's something Microsoft can simp ....... read more
Tue,
16 Sep 2008
Starbucks Canada Frees Wi-Fi in Its Stores
The Canadian branch of the coffee giant has secured a free Wi-Fi deal for customers: Just as Starbucks American stores are offering limited but free Wi-Fi in about 8,000 stores for its customers throu ....... read more
Fri,
08 Aug 2008
AT&T Says Fie on Free Fi for iPhone (Again)
The latest chapter in the ongoing flirtation between AT&T's Wi-Fi hotspot network and the iPhone ends in rejection: The cellular giant is apparently a bit overexcited, and keeps releasing information ....... read more
Fri,
18 Jul 2008
Wee-Fi: Chrysler-Fi Pricing, Alltel-Fi, Beijing Fail
Chrysler's in-car Internet $30 per month: The service, announced today but leaked yesterday, will cost about $450 and $35 to $50 for installation, using Autonet's system. The monthly fee is $30. I'm n ....... read more
Thu,
26 Jun 2008
T-Mobile Takes Home Line Service National
T-Mobile launches nationwide July 2nd with its home-line replacement service--or is it a cell plan extension service? I link here to Seattle Times's columnist Brier Dudley's take on @Home, T-Mobile's ....... read more
Wed,
25 Jun 2008
T-Mobile Sues Starbucks over Premature Free Wi-Fi
T-Mobile filed a complaint in New York's Supreme Court over the Starbucks Card Rewards free Wi-Fi launched this week: T-Mobile spokesperson Peter Dobrow said this evening that his firm was surprised w ....... read more
Fri,
06 Jun 2008
Starbucks, AT&T Brick Loyalty Card Service Launch
Starbucks, AT&T biff day one of the card loyalty program: After several hours of occasional attempts to register my Starbucks Card (actually, two) with the company for free Wi-Fi and other rewards, se ....... read more
Tue,
03 Jun 2008
Free Wi-Fi for AT&T Laptop Mobile Broadband Subscribers
AT&T extends its free Basic Wi-Fi package to laptop-based mobile broadband subscribers, but not to smartphone users, including iPhones: This is a logical move, vastly overdue, because it's a better ex ....... read more
Tue,
20 May 2008
iPhone Wi-Fi Hotspot Access Now in AT&T Plan Details
It's on, it's off, it's on again: Access to AT&T hotspots is back on again, at least in the fine print, as the company now includes the statement that all iPhone plans in the U.S. include "access to A ....... read more
Thu,
08 May 2008
Cablevision Antes up $350m for Wi-Fi Network in New York
Cablevision will offer free Wi-Fi to its customers across a swath of New York: The company will spend an astounding $350m over two years--roughly $100 per customer--to put in service that they peg at ....... read more
Thu,
08 May 2008
Wayport Tops 10,000 McDonald's Locations
Ten thousand is an arbitrary place to put a stick in the sand, but significant nonetheless: The milestone of 10,000 McDonald's wired up--a few hundred have back access only, due to being stores within ....... read more
Tue,
29 Apr 2008
Mobile Post: BT's New Clothes
BT opens up its hotspot network, while maintaining control: Can BT, by controlling the hardware and network infrastructure, let businesses effectively become new hotspots in its OpenZone network? ....... read more
Wed,
23 Apr 2008
AT&T, Starbucks Make Rollout Start Official
Although a San Antonio PR guy spotted the AT&T trucks at a Starbucks last week, this press release makes it official: AT&T and Starbucks co-announced today that San Antonio--AT&T's corporate HQ town-- ....... read more
Fri,
25 Apr 2008
Starbucks Leadership Shake Up Signals In-Store Direction
Starbucks entertainment senior VP "left" the company today; its CTO subsumes the entertainment function: If you were wondering if Starbucks might provide even clearer signals about its future plans re ....... read more
Thu,
24 Apr 2008