Community Wireless: WISP

Wi-Fi: Here Come the Big Guns : ( Jan 27, 2003 )
…the U.S. has about 65,000 paying users and Asia 20,000. But 2003 is being billed as a year of gonzo growth--a rare bright spot in the otherwise gloomy tech landscape. European sales of Wi-Fi interface cards for PCs are expected to soar 66%, to 4.6 million units …

Census of Wireless ISPs Estimates as Many as 1,800 : ( Jan 23, 2003 )
According to a new report from industry analysts In-Stat/MDR, the number of wireless ISPs (WISPs) operating in unlicensed spectrum in the United States has soared to between 1,500 and 1,800.

Making Wi-Fi Pay: pdf ( April 6th, 2002 )
A wireless approach to community networking using 802.11a, b or g brings interesting opportunities and problems. Noted below are four business models.

Boningo: Wireless agregator
Boingo provides convenient Internet access to the mobile user in a growing list of hundreds of public spaces including airports, hotels and cafes. It provides access to existing networks through a single account.

Joltage: commercial incentive
Joltage's free software turns any Internet connected PC with WiFi capability in to a hotspot on the Joltage network.

Sputnik: commercial incentive
Open source software, branding, security and roaming access. Sputnik provides an incentive to both programmers and access point providers.

Airpath: commercial incentive
Airpath Wireless has designed a product to help companies and organizations create added value and revenue by offering high-speed wireless and wired Internet access in their venues, such as airports, hotels, convention centers, marinas and other publicly-traveled venues.

 

Pass-One:
Pass-One is the main body responsible for promoting the WISP business world-wide. Today WLAN is the most successful implementation of a global broadband data wireless standard as supported by its Wi-Fi brand.The service delivery via this radio technology requires a global agreement from its providers, commonly known as WISPs. The overall objectives of the WISP Association are: promoting the wireless service delivery for roaming, standardising the WISP service level, and creating as well as implementing a global service mark. This will eventually lead to a harmonised market for the end-user.

FatPort Secure Broadband Wireless: Vancouver
FatPort is the leading provider of public wireless Internet access in Western Canada. The FatPort Network offers secure, affordable, broadband wireless access in cafes, hotels, and many other public locations. Make your office portable - use the same tools you are already comfortable with. Staying in contact over the Internet has never been easier.

Mobilestar: Award-winning broadband wireless internet access for your laptop or handheld PC -- easy to use, blazing speeds, hundreds of locations. Subscribe now to our monthly plans with the lowest per-minute rates, or try the "Pulsar Plan" option and pay only for what you want to use. Use MobileStar service in Starbucks locations nationwide -- check back here to see when it's available in your neighborhood.

Wayport provides FAST NET FOR PEOPLE ON THE MOVE. We deploy high-speed Internet access and other services in hotels, airports, conference centers and other destinations frequented by travelers.

AirWave develops wireless technology solutions to provide mobile workers with secure, reliable access to critical applications and network resources from remote locations.

Surf and Sip Network: dedicated to creating a high quality network of high-speed, wireless internet Access Points worldwide while at the same time providing our members and customers with affordable service in comfortable surroundings.