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Would you pay extra for seamless Wi-Fi connectivity?

NEW ORLEANS--Wireless carriers are looking to Wi-Fi to help them offload traffic from their cellular networks. And a new standard will make it even easier for consumers to use the unlicensed airwaves. But would you pay extra for that easy access?

The Wi-Fi Alliance, a trade association promoting the use of Wi-Fi, says a recent survey indicates that nearly three-quarters of respondents said they would.

The Wi-Fi Alliance is promoting the new standard, which will basically allow people to access a carrier's Wi-Fi without ever typing a passcode or even selecting a Wi-Fi hot spot. The technology will automatically … Read more

Busting wireless bottlenecks with Wi-Fi

Last month at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, I sat in press conference after press conference wanting to pull my hair out in utter frustration, because even though I had 100 percent signal strength on my wireless air card, I could barely load a Web page.

My 3G Sprint air card, which under normal circumstances provides me with a very reliable, stable, and usable Internet connection, slowed to a crawl when I needed it the most. I've had similar experiences at other venues using other wireless networks. At the U.S. Open in New York City this … Read more

AT&T expands free Wi-Fi hot zone trial

AT&T has added another city to its free public Wi-Fi hot spot initiative to help alleviate network congestion.

The company announced Monday that Charlotte, N.C., will be the second city added to its pilot program, which offers free Wi-Fi to customers in what it calls Wi-Fi hot zones, or large sections of cities. The large outdoor Wi-Fi hot zone in Charlotte offers Wi-Fi coverage from South Brevard Street around the NASCAR Hall of Fame Plaza to East Trade Street. It also offers customers waiting to use the nearby Lynx light rail free Wi-Fi.

In May, AT&… Read more

AT&T, Verizon Wireless join Wi-Fi interoperability group

Wi-Fi is increasingly becoming a major part of wireless operators' strategy to deliver mobile broadband services as wireless data traffic explodes.

A sign of the growing importance of Wi-Fi to carriers is the fact that earlier this week AT&T and Verizon Wireless, the two largest mobile-phone companies in the U.S., joined the Wireless Broadband Alliance (WBA), a group that since 2003 has promoted interoperability among carrier Wi-Fi networks.

The WBA has developed and implemented a standard for commercial Wi-Fi roaming around the world. The way it works is that WBA members share their customers' log-in credentials to … Read more