Author: Eliza Villarino

The Federal Communications Commission has released its ruling in a case involving Continental Airlines and the Massachusetts Port Authority. In July, the airline filed a petition with the agency after Massport ordered it to take down a Wi-Fi access point at its "President's Club" frequent-flier lounge in Boston's Logan International Airport, citing violations of Continental's...

A new study by WiFi Alliance indicates that 89 percent of 549 WiFi users in the U.S. would rather give up Starbucks than lose their wireless connection. Some 92 percent of those aged between 18 and 29 are adamant about keeping their WiFi access. According to Wi-Fi Alliance managing director Frank Hanzlik, young people have...

Heathrow Express will begin offering wireless Internet access to passengers by early 2007. This will be made possible by T-Mobile's plans to deploy hotspots on the train. The new network aims to deliver speeds as high as 8 Mbps or about 20 times faster than a 3G connection. Coverage, according to the company, will continue...

Analysts believe it is possible for wireless LAN to replace Ethernet as the preferred mode for accessing enterprise networks in the future. Farpoint Group principal Craig Mathias expects WLAN to "become the default network connection technology over (the) next five to 10 years." He said the technology continues to improve: WLAN access points have higher...

RoamAD has won a contract to build a network that will eventually provide wireless Internet coverage to 1.17 million homes or 59 percent of the urban population in the Dominican Republic. The New Zealand wireless network builder signed an agreement with DR Telecom towards the development of a 2.4GHz network, which will initially blanket about...

AT&T shut down in September its mobile WiMax trial in the Netherlands. Martin Silman, the carrier's executive director of global market portfolio management, said the company had to make the decision because "the security (that the network) required involved buffering, which in turn introduced an unacceptable degree of latency." Hence, Silman believes the technology will...

Officials at New York University sees a continuous growth in the availability of wireless Internet connectivity within the campus. A yearly survey by the Campus Computing Project indicates that coverage has grown over the years, with over half of college classrooms now having access to the university's wireless network as compared to only two-fifths last...

Washington State Ferries has shut down its free wireless Internet service. The decision ensued from the expiry of a grant that used to finance the program. WSF implemented the switch initially in the Bainbridge Island and Kingston routes and plans to do the same for Bremerton in December. Passengers may still get WiFi connection if...

Samsung Electronics will begin shipping a new device that is packed with a broad range of mobile services by March next year. This new portable gadget called Deluxe MITs (or mobile intelligent terminal by Samsung) is a phone, miniature PC, TV, MP3 player, digital camera, camcorder, and personal media player (PMP) rolled into one. According...

Alcatel and India's state-run Center for Development of Telematics (C-Dot) have opened a research center for the development of ready-to-industrialize products and reference designs that are based on WiMax Forum standards. The facility seeks to show the advantages of WiMAX IEEE 802.16e- 2005 and the residential and business uses of VoIP, high-speed Internet connection, as...

A new survey by WiFi Alliance shows that WiFi is becoming more popular, with nearly 9 out of 10 respondents choosing their wireless connection over a year's worth of Starbucks. Moreover, 80 percent of those surveyed would not mind seeing their home team lose if they can keep their WiFi connection. This increasing popularity, however,...

The city of Bellevue in Washington is deploying a WiFi network in the downtown area. Once installed, the network will initially extend over a 1.5-acre area from City Hall and Meydenbauer Center on the east to Bellevue Square and the Downtown Park on the west. Eventually, according to Bellevue Information Technology Manager David Kerr, the...

Foster City in California is offering free wireless Internet connection to its 29,000 residents. The scheme, which the city began implementing in early October, aims to lower costs and improve public services. MetroFi built the network and signed a service level agreement that would allow anyone owning a WiFi-enabled device to use the service. Foster...

A study by ABI Research indicates that the number of WiFi hotspots around the world has risen by 47 percent to 143,700 in 2006. Europe -- home to 57,000 hotspots -- and North America account for 74 percent of the volume but Asia-Pacific is expected to surpass both regions in five years due to its...

This year will see an increase in the number of WiFi hotspots worldwide by 143,700 or about 47 percent, according to a new report by ABI Research. The research firm ascribed the trend to an increasing demand and use of WiFi, particularly in retail establishments and the hotel industry. Nearly three quarters of all hotspots...