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Free Wi-Fi News
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"That's right, we blog!" (with thanks to RP and GW) News and information for free public access Wi-Fi location owners and users We call a hotspot that offers free Wi-Fi internet access a Wi-Fi-FreeSpot.
Want to learn how to build a FreeSpot? Go to WiFiFreenet.
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Thursday, March 27, 2003
A telling comment
An Associated Press story about the recent CTIA convention in New Orleans has this quote - "Sprint PCS chief Len Lauer said he's discouraged to see free WiFi hot spots popping up in hotels and other public places because that might make it difficult for anyone to profit off it." Sunday, March 23, 2003
FreeSpot Directory Additions
The Ohio, Georgia and Tennessee pages have new additions.
Wingate Inns offer free wi-fi in all guest rooms in all their many locations across the country. Wednesday, March 19, 2003
Advertising support for free access
One way to present advertising messages in support of your free access is with the Linksys Wireless Presentation Player (WPG12). It is an 802.11b access point...and a video presentation hub. The device can output video presentations as well as provide "hot spot" service. Using your computer and a flat screen monitor strategically mounted on a wall or counter (the WPG 12 and the monitor will need to be near each other as they need to be connected via a standard VGA connector) you can project ads and in-house promotion messages from any wireless-equipped computer within range (and with permission). Using your base station in-house computer you can present a continually looping Power Point type "slide" show of messages that will be seen by all your customers, not just those using the free access. The total cost is about $500 using a 14" monitor. FreeSpot Directory Addition
The country of Estonia has a large number of hotspots that offer free access. You'll find a link to a map of Estonia hotspots on the Europe page. Truckin'
25% of the nation's 3.3 million truck drivers carry laptop computers. They use them to find loads, check the weather and communicate with home. A new venture spearheaded by IBM will be adding paid access hotspots to 1000 truck stops across the country. It will be interesting to see if any other truck stop operators decide to offer free access. Saturday, March 15, 2003
More thoughts on Free Wi-Fi
Free wi-fi for everyone
"The problem is that wireless local-area networking -- commonly known today by the cute marketing term “wi-fi,” short for wireless fidelity -- increasingly looks like the most destructive new technology to come along in recent memory. It is so inexpensive to deploy as a means to access the Internet at high speeds, and use is so addictive, that its very popularity could be its downfall.
The paradox is rooted in the weak overall economy. For rather than deploying wi-fi as a means to make money, several large companies recently have announced plans to give it away to build loyalty for their faltering core services. And once this genie is out of the bottle, it’s hard to imagine how anyone manages to stuff it back in.
The leader in this trend is Omni Hotels, a privately owned chain of 40 luxury hotels based in Texas. But other hotel chains, such as Wyndham Resorts, have followed suit, as have the McDonald’s and Barnes and Noble retail chains. In February, Omni announced it had installed high-speed wireless networks at its Los Angeles, Dallas, Chicago and New York locations and planned to install it at other locations by year-end. If you don’t have a notebook computer that’s already equipped either with a wireless network interface card or a wireless chipset like Centrino, the hotel will lend you a wireless adapter that attaches to your Ethernet connection.
When you can pick up a piece of cutting-edge technology for the same price as a complimentary toothbrush, you have to figure that something is desperately wrong with the business model. Free wi-fi in hotels is a remarkable first step on a path that will probably progress at warp speed much like cable TV in the 1970s. For a few years, hotels and motels advertised cable to visitors because it was a differentiating luxury, and they charged a pretty penny. Now it is a standard feature of rooms. "
Thursday, March 13, 2003
Centrino not the only new chip for wireless
Intel debuted the Centrino wireless chip set. One criticism I've seen is that it is solely a 802.11b compatible product. Even though the 802.11g spec will probably not get full approval until this Summer, a lot of vendors are already releasing 802.11g products.
AMD and Transmeta also released chips that are optimized for wireless.
If you're in the market for a new laptop just to use with wireless make sure you check out all the possibilities. I'm sure Tim Higgins at smallnetbuilder.com will have a review of the new chips up on his site soon. FreeSpot Directory additions
The Georgia, Florida, Maryland, Colorado and Oregon pages have new listings. A link to a listing for Malaysia has been added on the main Directory page. Wednesday, March 12, 2003
Wired on Wireless
Wired magazine has a profile of Boston's Newburyopen.net. The free Wi-Fi along Newbury Street is provided by an Apple reseller named Tech Superpowers. Currently they share their T-1 line with eight other businesses, with more coming. The cafes, bookstores and other locations get the benefit of free Wi-Fi for their customers and Tech Superpowers' support of free Wi-Fi has given the company more publicity than they could ever afford to buy.
This model of a commercially supported community network is unique at this point but should appeal to other businesses with similar needs and resources. Wi-Fi is a promotional item
Mike Masnick of techdirt Corporate Intelligence continues to be my favorite Wi-Fi business analyst. Today he says, "WiFi providers need to realize that WiFi hotspots aren't profit centers. They're promotional items." in his analysis of a story about Wi-Fi hotspots at News.com
The story says "The three-year cost for a particular location running a hot spot, including a business-class digital subscriber line (DSL), is roughly $165 a month."
From what I've read, I sense that people might be willing to pay $2-3 for all day access. 3 users per day at $2 each would bring in $180 per month, but if the hotspot owner is part of an aggregator's network they would have to split that revenue 50/50 in return for authentication/billing services and a toll free support number. So it would actually take 6 users per day to make a $15 a month profit. There would also be some incremental increase in profits derived from the sale of goods and services to these users.
If the $165 per month cost of offering free Wi-Fi is looked at solely as a promotional expense aimed at winning new customers will it result in bringing in those same 3-6 new customers per day, or will it bring in more than 3-6? Will the increase in profits from the sale of goods and services to these new customers result in more than an additional $15 per month?
I and others like Mike Masnick think that free access will be good for business but each hotspot owner must make their own decision.
If you are a location owner considering offering Wi-Fi access to your customers, whether you choose free or paid access you must get the word out that you offer Wi-Fi access. Recent stories said that 38% of Americans have heard of Wi-Fi and Intel's $300 million ad campaign to promote their Centrino chip set will raise that awareness even further. Millions of people own laptop computers. Despite this, usage levels are not at a high level yet and for the market segment that is only looking for occasional access this may partially be due to the current price levels. Free access might just be what will get them started and get you a new customer.
Tuesday, March 11, 2003
Do you want fries with your Wi-Fi?
McDonald's will offer an hour of free access with the purchase of an extra value meal starting Wednesday at 10 locations in NYC. They say they'll have 300 locations in NYC, Chicago and an as yet un-disclosed California city by the end of the year. After the free hour is up you can get another free hour for another happy meal purchase or you can pay $3. They say the pilot program will last 3 months so the free access might be temporary. Monday, March 10, 2003
Saturday, March 08, 2003
More FreeSpots
ConnectedHotel.com works with hotels to offer guests free in-room Wi-Fi access. Added their locations to the Directory on the Arkansas, Colorado, California, Indiana, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas pages. Friday, March 07, 2003
FreeSpot Directory Addition
On the Massachusetts page, Newburyopen.net has added the Armani Cafe to their group of Newbury Street locations in Boston. Thursday, March 06, 2003
Another business model
An article today at 802.11 Planet reviews BOLDstreet's plans for a rollout of hotspots across Canada. Currently they have 18 hotspots between Ottawa and Toronto that have free access but will be converted to a paid service sometime in the future.
The article says " Somewhat surprisingly, BOLDstreet won't necessarily offer location owners a split of revenues -- though it might to some. The pitch to location owners now is that the presence of the hotspot will bring new customers in and encourage them to return." BOLDstreet's CEO explains, "Look at what's happening in the U.S. where the model is to sell it on the notion that there's revenue for everybody," Camp says "The reality is the revenue isn't there."
I know it's Canada, but that's pretty cold.
I can't say it any better
A column in the Hartford Courant about prices being too high in commercial hotspots led to these comments by techdirt.com's Mike Masnick.
" free WiFi access is a promotional item that restaurants and cafes should use to draw in new customers. It's not a profit center. It's not core to their business, and it doesn't make sense to charge for it. If they keep it up, they'll continue to draw one or two people a day - when they could be offering free access, bringing in many more paying customers for their regular business. " Tuesday, March 04, 2003
FreeSpots in your State
Some of the States in the FreeSpot Directory have no listings. Check out your State's page and if you know of any we should add please let us know where they are.
Do business related Wi-Fi users need Free access?
Probably not the business travel user. It is unlikely that someone traveling on business would have the time to search out a free location unless it happened to be a very short distance from where they have a business meeting or in the hotel where they are staying. Thus, they will pay for the access that is most readily available. It becomes a "cost of doing business" expense.
But, how about the non-traveling business user that is looking for a place near where they work to have a coffee or lunch and stay "connected" to their work? Are they likely to pay for an access account out of their own pocket? Free access probably looks mighty good to them.
If you have these types of business users in your neighborhood let them know about the Free Access and your lunch specials.
New FreeSpot Directory Additions
New FreeSpot added in Denver on the Colorado page and several FreeSpots in the Bay Area on the California page. Monday, March 03, 2003
Centrino Inside
Intel's new Centrino mobile technology is built especially for the wireless user. They say "This new innovative technology delivers cutting-edge system performance and low-power enhancements to enable extended battery life in notebook PCs, combined with integrated wireless connectivity and standards-based security support."
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