Subject: [NEXTEL-1] Sprint Unveils Wi-Fi Strategy

From: [email-masked]
Date: Mon, 21 Jul 2003 17:14:26 -0400

Sprint Unveils Wi-Fi Strategy
BY BRAD SMITH
JULY 21, 2003

Sprint PCS announced its Wi-Fi hot spot plans today, initially offering the
service at 800 locations later this summer through partnerships with Wayport Inc.
and Airpath Wireless Inc.

By the end of the year, the carrier said it will have more than 2,100 locations,
which is almost the number that T-Mobile HotSpots has launched through its various
partners, including Starbucks. T-Mobile also has started integrating its Wi-Fi
offering with its GPRS network, initially with a unified bill.

Sprint PCS' Wi-Fi Access will use its PCS Connection Manager software to detect
both Wi-Fi hot spots and the carrier's cdma2000 1X network. Customers using the
PCS Connection Card by AirPrime PC3200 will have an enhanced version of the
software that manages both network connections, although a separate Wi-Fi card or
embedded 802.11b chip will be necessary.

The CDMA carrier already has been offering enterprise installations of Wi-Fi
through partnerships with Cisco Systems Inc. Among its customers is Case Western
Reserve University.

Airpath Wireless provides Wi-Fi management to 300 providers in 15
countries.Wayport provides Wi-Fi to some 500 locations, primarily hotels and
airports. Sprint said it is in negotiations with airports, convention centers,
hotels and other public venues to build out its own Wi-Fi infrastructure. The
carrier said it plans on integrating Wi-Fi and PCS monthly payments later this
year. Pricing will be announced when the service becomes available.

Sprint PCS and T-Mobile are not the only U.S. carriers with wi-fi hot spots. AT&T
Wireless Inc. also has a limited launch of Wi-Fi hot spots in some airports.
Verizon Communications Inc. recently activated 150 hot spots in the New York City
area and its wireless subsidiary, Verizon Wireless Inc., has announced plans to
launch Wi-Fi hot spots by the end of September.
These carrier hot spot rollouts have been expected. It's seen partly as a
defensive strategy, but also as a complement to the wireless carriers' 2.5G and 3G
networks. Subscribers could use the cellular networks for wide-area coverage and
Wi-Fi for higher speed local coverage.

Many analysts still question the business model of hot spots, even if Wi-Fi has
gained a strong foothold in retail areas, airports, convention centers and
hotels.  Juniper Research says there were 10,450 hot spots in service globally by
the end of June. The analyst group said that number likely would swell to 40,650
by the end of the year.

Juniper said the weaker hot spot providers likely will go away, either ceasing
operation or being gobbled up in a consolidation. Still, the analyst group said
the commercial hot spots will generate about $1.3 billion in revenue globally by
2006.

http://www.wirelessweek.com/index.asp?layout=newsat2direct&starting=1&pubdate=07/21/03

------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~-->
Get a FREE REFINANCE QUOTE - click here!
http://us.click.yahoo.com/nHYuCC/ca0FAA/ySSFAA/61FxlB/TM
---------------------------------------------------------------------~->

Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/