Friday, October 7th, 2011
Karen Ambrose Hickey, Editor
Sprint moves fast into LTE, but what about their Clearwire investment?
Today, on Gigaom.com, Sprint dials up LTE for its 4G future but leaves Clearwire hanging, by Ryan Kim discussed Sprint’s plans to agressively campaign and rollout their LTE/4G network in 2012. They will leverage old spectrum and soon cover 260 markets for 250 million people into 2013.
The LTE rollout will quickly overtake and pass the WiMax deployment by late next year. Which leaves the status of Clearwire as unclear. Looking towards 2015, Sprint will need more spectrum, but again, there’s no word on how Clearwire comes into play, although Sprint invested in them for a contract through 2012.
Read more >>
Clearwire has mentioned working with China Mobile, the world’s largest telecom company, as discussed in: Will a Clearwire-China Mobile Partnership Benefit Sprint? This should be a positive for Sprint, giving Clearwire another 4G partner and taking some of the financial burden off Sprint.
Sprint moving quickly to LTE – where’s Clearwire? >>
Monday, October 3rd, 2011
Steve Simms, CEO & Co-Founder, Tomizone Limited
By: Steve Simms, Executive Director & Co-Founder, Tomizone
When asked to add commentary on the latest iPass Mobile Workforce Report, I was quite reflective of my own work habits and how they’ve changed over recent times. In the old days when smart phones and email connectivity away from home or work didn’t exist, I fondly remember the number of phone calls and follow up lists I’d have on me.
My mobile phone bill was always a source of amusement with the finance team because I always broke the “minutes used per month” record and my fellow workers thought I had a phone growing out of my head. Workplace accountability was as good as “your word” and via follow up email messages “when I get back to the office”.
This always caused me stress and I’d still be seen lurking in the office pounding out the follow up messages while my dinner was being missed at home. My work / life balance was terrible – all because I was tethered to a work computer at work or on dial up from home.
Fast-forward ten years and the contrast is like night and day. I remain connected to my (many) email profiles and discretely tap away replies or thoughts on the move. I spend better time with my family and friends and also observe the “email etiquette” rules so I don’t appear rude.
I’m also amazed at how much idle time there is like “waiting for friends” or “sitting on a ferry on the way to work” – time in the past that was not used efficiently for follow up or updating myself on events. I’m probably creating more work for myself but it doesn’t feel like it.
I’ve also just returned from an extensive trip in China where traditionally I’d be waiting to get back to the hotel or office to update email or stay in touch. The Data Roaming bills were horrific in the past so I constantly use my Wi-Fi connection where I can.
This is where the iPass connectivity makes it vital to connect to Wi-Fi infrastructure while on the road and it was something we took advantage of constantly on this recent trip. Wi-Fi industry folk are building networks frantically to cope with the demand for users like me that have smartphones and tablets. Having an interconnected network resource means that expensive data roaming bills could be a thing of the past as these networks grow.
The day is coming where finance departments won’t accept data roaming due to the alternatives available such as iPass. Our company has a “no data roaming” policy and unless it’s an emergency. Our data roaming bill is an annual cost equivalent to a tank of gas. Wi-Fi roaming connectivity has saved us about US$3,000 per user per year at least.
If I was to quantify productivity gains through connectivity in general, I’m sure a finance team would be doing cart wheels of delight by having the team available on-line every hour of every day. I certainly have a lot of confidence on a quick reply these days when I send a message – something that didn’t exist a decade ago.
As I look forward to the near term, I see increased demand for connectivity on the move with high-speed Wi-Fi networks. Users want to experience this connectivity like they do at home or the office and seamless Wi-Fi is growing in popularity. Wi-Fi bundles with mobile plans are becoming more prevalent as carriers look to attract customers or off-load 3G data congestion. Wi-Fi Operators have geared up to enable this seamless experience and this core offering is sure to delight users who are constantly connected.
With the rise of the iPad and other tablets, these data hungry devices have exposed a whole new market for connectivity on the road and it’s no coincidence that around 83% of respondents to the iPass Workforce Report are happy to pay for Wi-Fi connectivity or bundled Wi-Fi.
I’m also not surprised to read that personal connectivity is also a major factor driving usage while on vacation (Figure 19, Why do you connect to technology during vacation) – I personally fell victim to this when my favourite resort in Fiji became a Wi-Fi Zone which meant I could keep abreast of what was happening in the world.
So has this connectivity caused an imbalance to my work/life balance? No way! If anything, it has allowed me to take control of my time and spread my workload across my day as a manageable layer. I’m now off for a relaxing coffee at my favourite café that has Wi-Fi to update my mind on world events and tap out my new idea for a product enhancement.
Nice!
Turn On My Internet Zone For A Better Workshift >>
Monday, September 26th, 2011
Karen Ambrose Hickey, Editor
What is the third biggest international sporting event after the Olympic Games and the FIFA World Cup?
Rugby World Cup 2011 is underway! 80 nations compete in qualifiers over 3 years for 20 spots in the final competition. With our partner Tomizone, we have the Top 10 Wi-Fi hotspots in a Google Map to keep you connected, if you are there for business or leisure.
Tomizone is providing city wide free Wi-Fi access in metro areas, on busses and some trains for the Rugby World Cup. If any of the 85,000 visitors are iPass users, they can login easily and quickly using their iPass credentials. Rugby fans can participate and share in the action using Wi-Fi to tweet about the action, upload pictures and check out recent news.
Ideal for a first-time Auckland visitor, along with the excitement of rugby, Auckland also offers natural beauty and attractions – explore the picturesque lakeside setting of Taupo and the amazing Huka Falls, and experience the geothermal wonders of Rotorua.
Here’s a sampling of our Top 10 Hotspots for Auckland so you can stay connected during your trip!
- Queen Street: the major commercial area in New Zealand’s main population centre. The Wharf will also be a temporary ‘fan zone’ including the Cloud – a temporary structure – to accommodate events and more during the Rugby World Cup 2011.
- Devonport: If you would like to slow down your pace a bit and go back in time, Devonport, nestled on Auckland’s North Shore, will provide you that unique perspective, along with the beauty of the beaches.
- Brew on Quay: A popular meeting place for concert goers, this could be THE place to celebrate and meet up after the games to enjoy the food, beers and wines at their unique rooftop bar.
- The Auckland Fish Market: Take a tour, buy your own, or enjoy a fresh seafood meal after watching a grueling match.
Matches continue on. Today features Japan vs. Canada, and USA vs. Italy. Argentina, Samoa, Tonga and Georgia have all climbed in the IRB rankings, while Fiji dropped.
Top 10 Wi-Fi Hotspots for Rugby World Cup >>
Friday, September 16th, 2011
Karen Ambrose Hickey, Editor
Two announcements this week regarding LTE. If you live in Atlanta, then you have a better chance at 4G.
Both Verizon and AT&T made announcements about 4G coverage, and both carriers will get to Atlanta.
AT&T is barely making its promise of 5 cities by late summer (fall is next week!), and I notice how many of the target cities are in their home state of Texas. Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, Atlanta and Chicago will soon have smartphones blazing and using data faster than ever. Ten more will come by the end of the year.
Verizon announced 26 more cities, more in the countries “mid-section”, adding to 143 total. Matt notes the coindidence with the launch of the Droid Bionic, an LTE-ready device. Three more cities, got an “expansion.”
Read more on AT&T by Matt Hamblen >>
Read more on AT&T comparison with Verizon by Devindra Hardawar >>
More on Verizon by Matt Hamblen >>
4G coming to more cities soon >>
Monday, September 12th, 2011
Karen Ambrose Hickey, Editor
We continue to increase our footprint coverage for our iPass users via our partner relationships, and we now have 40 Hotspots available across the three islands of Malta, Gozo and Comino.
If you get a chance to travel to this beautiful area, you have more ways to get connected with your mobile devices. New hotspots include Malta International Airport and 16 hotels, as well as a number of key Wi-Fi hot zones. Here are a few:
Radisson Blu Resort, St. Julian’s
Overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, this hotel and spa has a private beach on tranquil St. George’s Bay near the vibrant town of St. Julian’s.
The Pointe Shopping Centre (Tigne Point)
Take your pick from a wide selection of shops, dining and services, near many tourist attractions.
Grand Harbor Marina
With brightly painted facades, the recently renovated waterfront is both an entertainment area and ferry port.
Spinola Garden
One of the oldest areas of St. Julian’s, down to the Bay, with cafes, restaurants and bars, filled with people in the warm evenings.
Xlendi Bay
This bay is three kilometres away from Victoria on the southwest side of Gozo. This beautiful inlet with a sandy beach is an ideal swimming spot.
New hotspots on Malta >>
