MuniWireless

ABI Research expects the number of Wi-Fi hotspots around the world to grow by 40% in 2008 (over 2007) with the largest increase taking place in Europe, notably the UK, France, Germany and Russia. In addition, the decision of Starbucks to offer free Wi-Fi access is making other venues think twice about charging for Wi-Fi service. The research firm concludes that Wi-Fi is becoming an amenity that locations offer their guests, or a way to attract customers away from competitors.…

Occasionally, we read stories that seem so rooted in the ‘where-have-they-been?’ department that they seem hardly worthy of comment. But when those stories appeared in such revered pages as The New York Times, they should be acknowledged. Last week, The Times caught up with trends in muni wireless following EarthLink’s pullback from the market, noting the diminishment of interest in digital divide programs and the shifting focus in the market. If you’ve been reading this blog, you already know about…

Municipal Wi-Fi networks are undergoing a paradigm shift, says a new report from ABI Research. This helpful report underscores the trends toward public safety, applications and anchor tenancies that we’ve been tracking for some time and offers valuable insights and recommendations on how munis can negotiate the shift from politically-inspired free-for-all networks to networks that serve specific community interests.”Municipal Wireless,” a new report from ABI Research concludes that “we need to change our expectations of what a municipal Wi-Fi network…