Why you need a Hotspot Finder more than ever
Monday, December 6th, 2010 Karen Ambrose Hickey, Editor
Many had anticipated that when the carriers launched their wireless broadband (3G) networks, Wi-Fi would have died a swift and painless death. Surprisingly, the very opposite has happened. Home Wi-Fi networks have skyrocketed and public Wi-Fi hotspots continue to proliferate as Wi-Fi becomes standard in an every expanding array of portable electronic devices including smartphones, notebooks, tablets, music & game players, cameras etc. Users want an alternate and affordable way to connect to the Internet so they can communicate, entertain themselves and remain productive. Wi-Fi is serving that need.
In fact, Wi-Fi has become so ubiquitous that companies such as Devicescape, Skyhook Wireless, Apple and Google are now leveraging Wi-Fi signal data to pinpoint the location of Wi-Fi enabled devices with a surprising degree of accuracy, a feat that not too long ago could only be accomplished with GPS. In addition, carriers are actively seeking opportunities to offload 3G data onto Wi-Fi so they can expand their network coverage and keep up with the bandwidth demands of their customers.
So, in a world of Wi-Fi ubiquity, why is iPass launching a new version of its hotspot finder? What’s there to find if the thing you’re looking for is everywhere? Unfortunately, all hotspots are not created equal. Some are wide open while others are either secured or require end user input before permitting access. Once connected, end users sometimes have to endure the wrath of temperamental hotspots whose bandwidth and connection duration vary with each passing minute. This is especially true for free hotspots.
iPass’ new hotspot finder for laptops and smartphones will continue to provide information on the location of iPass enabled hotspots, on the ground and in the sky with the iPass Inflight Internet service introduced earlier this year. However, in addition to making the search process easier, we’re seeking to inform. We’ve taken a Web 2.0 approach and are enabling our end users to rate their connection experience as well as provide value added information regarding the hotspot. Similar to product and service reviews on shopping and local search sites, this information will be publically available to the benefit of the broader community. We’ve also added functionality that will enable our users to bookmark their favorite hotspots for trip planning and future reference.
In our recent Mobile Workforce Report, we discovered that the majority of smartphone users are using Wi-Fi because it’s faster than 3G. We anticipate that the number of users seeking reliable high bandwidth hotspots will continue to increase as they discover the benefits of video communications currently being included in next generation mobile devices.
By providing additional information on the quality of hotspots, we hope to set user expectations in advance of connection as well as provide valuable feedback to venue owners. We understand the joy of finding a hotspot when you really need to connect and the disappointment that quickly follows when the connection experience is disappointing.
We welcome your feedback on ways we can further improve the hotspot finder and encourage you to post reviews as well as participate in the feedback survey found within the My iPass tab.
For a demo, watch our short video.
