Category: Commentary

If Wi-Fi is to be profitable as more than a sideline, it will have to get outside the coffee shop, contends Bert Williams, vice president for marketing for Tropos in Sunnyvale, California. Tropos builds wireless networks that span neighborhoods and entire cities in some cases. That kind of coverage can be turned into a profitable,...

Much as we've come to love a good Wi-Fi connection, whether at home or at the corner coffee shop, there's still quite a bit left to be desired. It's not fast enough, and Wi-Fi signals need to go farther. Via [forbes.com]

Has China gone cold on hot spots? Three years ago, the country's biggest phone companies, China Netcom and China Telecom, seemed to be in a fast-paced race to sign deals with the country's hotels, airports and fast-food chains to open short-range wireless broadband access points, known as hot spots, in major cities like Beijing and...

If you've used Wi-Fi a few times, whether at home, in the office, or while getting a latte or enjoying a public park, you've probably figure you've learned enough about wireless networking that you like it, yet it's not quite everything it should be. Via [forbes.com]

Speakers rave about rapid growth but preach against overconfidence at wireless conference. Via [pcworld.com]

When the NBA expansion Charlotte Bobcats open their $265 million arena next year, Barry Silberman expects there will be skepticism about the invisible innovation that will pervade the venue. Via [usatoday.com]

Enterprise might already be using voice over wireless LAN, but the technology is still far from perfect, admitted networking and telecom executives at this week's VON Europe conference here. Via [eweek.com]

U.S. airports are becoming hot spots of conflict between various parties seeking to control wireless Internet systems at the sprawling facilities. Via [forbes.com]

From fancy hotels to fast-food joints, the number of venues offering high-speed wireless Internet access is expected to grow at a heady clip this year. But industry analysts aren't expecting laptop users and their credit cards to follow. Via [wired.com]

Linda Branagan would seem to be the ideal customer for entrepreneurs and telecommunications companies looking to make money selling wireless Internet connections. Via [iht.com]

WiMax, an evolving standard for point-to-multipoint wireless networking, is poised to do for the last mile of broadband what Wi-Fi has done for the last 100 feet of networking. Via [eweek.com]

In a rare wireless hacking conviction, a Michigan man entered a guilty plea Friday in federal court in Charlotte, North Carolina for his role in a scheme to steal credit card numbers from the Lowe's chain of home improvement stores by taking advantage of an unsecured wi-fi network at a store in suburban Detroit. Via...

Free Wi-Fi service is proliferating, and it shows up sometimes in strange places. Via [computerworld.com]

Readers recount their most unusual Wi-Fi moments. Via [msnbc.msn.com]

A survey found that 72% of business travellers asked said onboard wi-fi web access would make them more likely to choose trains over cars or planes. Via [news.bbc.co.uk]