Madrid-based FON scored another big U.S. deal with WiFi network aggregator Boingo Wireless. The deal gives Boingo VoIP and laptop users access to some 130,000 WiFi hotspot locations, more than doubling Boingo's size. FON's hotspots come from businesses and individual users that add their own hotspots to the FON community in exchange for the right to roam on other FON locations for free or at a reduced rate. Availability to the FON network will give Boingo Mobile users access to FON's hotspots throughout the world for a flat $8 per month.
FON made a deal with Time Warner last month [1]. The partnership specifically allows Time Warner Cable subscribers to become FON community members and create FON access points via their home or business broadband connection. Furthermore, the same subscribers would enjoy free or low-cost WiFi access around the world, wherever FON has partner ISPs.
The question now is: Is T-Mobile going to have to change its pricing plans and actually open up its hotspots to roaming?
For more about FON's deal with Boingo:
- check out this release [2]
Links:
[1] http://www.fiercewifi.com/story/time-warner-fon-partner-for-free-wifi/2007-04-30
[2] http://www.boingo.com/pr/pr157.php