News

Wireless Internet Providers Urge Congress to Help Small Businesses to BringBroadband to Rural and Underserved Americans WISPA
[February 5, 2009] The Wireless Internet Service Providers Association is urging Congress to help ensure that the new bill expands broadband Internet access to Americans in rural areas and to consumers with limited or no access to affordable broadband services.

AT&T to Acquire Wayport Naomi Graychase
[November 6, 2008] The agreement, announced today, means that some AT&T customers will get Wi-Fi access at nearly 20,000 U.S. hotspots and that AT&T is better poised to woo the influx of consumers with Wi-Fi-enabled devices looking for service in the coming months and years.

Philly's Wi-Fi Receives Stay of Execution Naomi Graychase
[June 17, 2008] Local investors have stepped in to save Philadelphia's doomed Wi-Fi network. But can their plan, which is partly based on the yet-to-be-successful ad-driven and non-profit models, really work?

About the Iowa Floods Best of ISP-Lists
[June 17, 2008] A member of the ISP-Wireless list writes about his experience of the floods, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

CONXX Builds a Network for Cambria County Alex Goldman
[June 3, 2008] This is how government should build networks. The Cambra Connected network provides bandwidth for emergency responders, government, and schools, and allocates the remainder to ISPs.

Two ISPs on Cambria Connected: In The Stix and Digital Razor Alex Goldman
[June 3, 2008] Two typical but very different ISPs are representative of the ISP industry as a whole.

Verizon Announces Plans for New Spectrum Naomi Graychase
[April 4, 2008] Verizon today spoke for the first time publicly about its plans for the 700Mhz spectrum, since the FCC auction ended on March 18.

Sandoval County Claims Broadband Bamboozle Jim Thompson
[March 13, 2008] This New Mexico project promised to bring extreme broadband to places that don't even have phone services, but several years in, the project has resulted in lawsuits, allegations of corruption and a loss of more than one million dollars. Is Sandoval Broadband a case of good intentions gone wrong or is it the poster child for a flawed model and an industry in trouble?

Roadstar Internet Hosts Armenian Public Service Regulatory Commission Members David Hughes and Marty Dougherty
[June 6, 2007] The wireless ISP has been visited by international delegations since being recognized by former FCC Chairman Michael Powell.

BelAir Builds Partnerships Alex Goldman
[February 6, 2007] The wireless equipment maker is talking to VARs, OEMs, and, of course, ISPs. Yes, there's a platinum/gold/silver partnership program, but there's more, too.

NextWeb Grows Inside Covad Alex Goldman
[November 21, 2006] A year ago, we said the acquisition of the massive regional WISP by the national CLEC made sense. Now, we can provide the details, from high level strategy down to what equipment the company prefers.

EarthLink Adds 23 GHz Radios to Muni Plans Alex Goldman
[July 25, 2006] The urban backbones for EarthLink's municipal wireless products will get 200 Mbps radios.

Clearwire Clears Well Over $1.26 Billion in Funding Eric Griffith
[July 6, 2006] The company won't bother with an IPO when companies like Intel and Motorola have its back with a new $900 million investment.

Wireless Plan to Bring 1 Gbps to Homes in Sandoval County Gerry Blackwell
[June 20, 2006] The guy who brought broadband to Tonga is ready to revolutionize the U.S. market by offering very very fast residential service.

Will EarthLink's Muni Architecture Fail? Best of ISP-Lists
[June 12, 2006] Members of the ISP-Wireless list say that good municipal networks can be built, but not with Tropos, not with the architecture that EarthLink is advocating, and certainly not in New Orleans' facility poor, high interference environment.

EarthLink Courts Controversy With Muni Franchise Offer to ISPs Alex Goldman
[May 26, 2006] The company told ISPCON attendees that there are so many business opportunities out there, it wants to offer franchises to WISPs in markets it's not pursuing itself.

MIMO Outdoors Eric Griffith
[May 26, 2006] A startup just out of stealth mode has a new solution for dense outdoor wireless deployments.

Lawmakers Crack Down on Wi-Fi Crime Tim Scannell
[April 28, 2006] If you're a business owner in upstate New York and use a wireless LAN to handle sensitive customer data, you better make sure it's secure. It it's not, you may be breaking the law and could be slapped with a fine.

BatteryCorp Adds Site Audits Alex Goldman
[April 17, 2006] The company that turned battery provision into a high touch managed service adds tower site audits to its list of services.

A Personal 60' Tower Cory Doctorow, BoingBoing
[March 3, 2006] A man whose wireless ISP's signal was blocked by a nearby church spire built a low-cost, 60-foot-tall tower in his yard and mounted his antenna atop it.

Google, Earthlink Together on San Francisco Wi-Fi Proposal Eric Griffith
[February 22, 2006] Two biggest names in municipal networks these days could end up working together.

Vivato Shuts Down Operations Eric Griffith
[December 16, 2005] The once-promising Wi-Fi distribution technology never quite got off the ground, and now the company has closed its doors.

So Many Services for Wireless Alex Goldman
[November 28, 2005] One vendor says that global opportunities arrive when you combine voice, data, and other services.

WavMax Aggressively Expands in the West Naomi Graychase
[November 3, 2005] The company's plan: Stay one step ahead of the demand for wireless backhaul.

Winning Municipal Business Alex Goldman
[October 10, 2005] We spoke to key executives at a major ISP that just won national attention with a public contract win. We asked what it took to win the first contract, and what was planned next.

Wi-Fi for Rural Michigan Towns Naomi Graychase
[August 4, 2005] Socially-conscious ISP Arialink is helping an under-privileged area of the state get wireless broadband.

The Banning of Free Wi-Fi Julie Ask
[August 4, 2005] Airport tries to ban airline from offering free service in competition with airport's paid service.

Europe Opens Spectrum for Wireless Broadband Eric Griffith
[July 15, 2005] The European Commission says by October member states can use areas of the 5 GHz radio frequency that were previously verboten.

Skype Talk at Boingo Hotspots Eric Griffith
[July 12, 2005] The VoIP provider has built a version of its software into the Boingo Wireless client give users better access while on the road.

'Wireless Philadelphia' Sparks Concern Michael Singer
[December 7, 2004] Philadelphia's controversial plan to create low-cost wireless Internet service is fueling a debate among Wi-Fi technology firms over business models.

Wireless Broadband on the TV Airwaves Eric Griffith
[May 18, 2004] A new FCC proposal says frequencies generally reserved for television broadcasts may soon be used for wireless data services, and the Commission is holding a hearing tomorrow.

Listen to the Wireless News Alex Goldman
[March 23, 2004] Tune in tomorrow to the radio show about the wireless Internet, broadcast each Wednesday at 10 AM EST, with archives allowing you to choose when to listen.

A Big WISP Merger Alex Goldman
[Febraury 26, 2004] Two companies claim that, combined, they'll be the biggest business WISP in California, and the U.S.

Wi-Fi Checks Into More Hotels Michael Singer
[September 2, 2003] Boingo/STSN and Wayport announce separate wireless LAN deals at more than 400 locations including major brands like Hilton, Marriott, Ritz Carlton, and Sheraton.

Talking About Hotspots at the 802.11 Planet Conference & Expo Alex Goldman
[June 26, 2003] We asked the co-provider of the wireless network to the world's biggest broadband wireless Internet conference about hotspots in general and the company's new software in particular.

Solectek Courts ISPs With New Products Colin C. Haley
[June 26, 2003] Privately held Solectek Corp. introduces three new Wi-Fi products here at 802.11 Planet Conference & Expo in Boston this week.

Companies Pare Down UWB Proposals Vikki Lipset
[May 20, 2003] The task group charged with defining a new ultrawideband standard was back in Dallas last week for another round of proposals as the ultrawideband industry struggles to agree on a multimedia standard.

WLAN Education's Latest: Security and Telephony Eric Griffith
[April 29, 2003] The leading purveyors of WLAN learning programs have introduced new curricula covering security and wireless voice over IP telephony.

Canada's SR Telecom To Acquire Netro Gretchen Hyman
[April 1, 2003] The wireless telco has much to gain from its proposed acquisition, including a boost in status as a fixed wireless access provider and a highly coveted Nasdaq listing.

Wireless Firms Telaxis, YDI Merge boston.internet.com Staff
[March 21, 2003] Two Wi-Fi equipment manufacturers have joined forces in steadily growing market that is also steadily becoming more competitive.

Vivato Garners Intel Backing Eric Griffith
[March 11, 2003] The Intel Communications Fund, which last year pledged to deliver $150 million in funding to 802.11 related startups, has announced backing for Vivato, Pronto, and others.

Fixed Wireless Provider Hits Big Time Ted Stevenson
[March 4, 2003] A fledgling Southern California wireless Internet vendor joins forces with cable giant to create an unlikely but promising hybrid broadband service offering.

Amperion Delivers Broadband with Powerline, Wi-Fi Thor Olavsrud
[February 27, 2003] The start up raises the curtain on technology that leverages Wi-Fi to give power utilities the capability to challenge telcos and cable operators for the broadband access market.

Pittsburgh ISP Launches Hotspots Eric Griffith
[February 11, 2003] After a year long free pilot program, Telerama Internet is ready to launch for-pay hotspot services, but will users used to paying nothing pony up the money?

Wild Wireless Activity ISP-Planet Staff
[February 4, 2003] A spate of mergers and acquisitions, as well as the coming wave of earnings releases, show a great deal of optimism in the wireless Internet business sector.

Wi-Fi Ahead for AT&T Wireless Eric Griffith
[January 29, 2003] AT&T Wireless makes its dash for the public-access hotspot market by targeting business users in airports and hotels, and partners with Wayport for roaming.

Payphones: The Next Hotspot Wave? Ed Sutherland
[January 28, 2003] Bell Canada is converting existing payphones into instant hotspots in a new pilot program. Is it the latest craze in creating public access Wi-Fi or a flash in the wireless pan?

Wireless Broadband Continues to Shine ISP-Planet Staff
[January 21, 2003] Two recent news items show that optimism is warranted in the fixed wireless broadband space.

US Wireless Online, AIR2LAN Merge ISP-Planet Staff
[December 20, 2002] Analysts have predicted that the Wi-Fi industry will consolidate. Consolidation begins with a single merger, such as that announced yesterday between US Wireless Online and AIR2LAN.

FCC Seeks More Spectrum for Wireless Roy Mark
[December 13, 2002] The agency is proposing to allow unlicensed wireless devices, including Wi-Fi networks, to share space with TV broadcast spectrum.

EchoStar and Hughes Terminate Merger Roy Mark
[December 11, 2002] Conceding to the FCC and DOJ, EchoStar will pay $600 million cash to terminate a proposed merger deal between the nation's two largest satellite TV companies.

Proxim Reorganizes Eric Griffith
[December 11, 2002] In what the company calls an 'offensive, not defensive' move, Proxim will shuffle executives, look for a new president, and move from four to two operating divisions.

Keynote: Wi-Fi on the Verge of Mass Market Impact Michael Singer
[December 5, 2002] In a keynote speech at the 802.11 Planet Fall 2002 Conference & Expo, Wi-Fi Alliance chairman and Intersil Strategic Marketing Manager Dennis Eaton spoke about Wi-Fi's future.

Pinpointing Wi-Fi Problems Eric Griffith
[December 5, 2002] Location Enabled Network solution provider Newbury Networks says its WiFi Watchdog add-on not only tells administrators about intruders, it will tells where they are.

NewLogic 'WiLD' at the Wi-Fi Core Michael Singer
[December 5, 2002] The company's latest modem addresses the move towards a single chip, multi-band WLAN configuration at the 802.11 Planet Fall Conference & Expo.

A Wireless Kiosk NearU Eric Griffith
[December 3, 2002] NetNearU's new NNU Runtime Engine for Wi-Fi is designed to make it easy to add a wireless kiosk for signup and advertising to hotspot venues.

Wi-Fi To Show Off Its Business Savvy InternetNews.com Staff
[December 2, 2002] Jupitermedia's 802.11 Planet Fall Conference classic in Santa Clara this week promises to bring together major players in this wireless Internet revolution.

Senators Support Wireless Broadband Roy Mark
[November 22, 2002] A bipartisan pair of senators, George Allen and Barbara Boxer, say that federal broadband assistance efforts have stalled because they have ignored vital fixed wireless technologies.

Wi-Fi News Briefs ISP-Planet Staff
[November 21, 2002] Boingo and FatPort join forces for roaming North America, Ricochet rebounds in southern California, Buffalo ups the ante on wireless security, and what happens when gasoline and Wi-Fi mix?

FCC Report Proposes New Spectrum Auction Plan Roy Mark
[November 19, 2002] Study says about seven percent of the most valuable spectrum is available. Proposes "two-sided" auction plan with voluntary participation by incumbents to free-up more spectrum.

Wireless News Briefs ISP-Planet Staff
[November 19, 2002] ARCi introduces sub-$500 CPE pricing for its 5 GHz wireless system, 3eTI and AirWave Wireless deliver an AP capable of uncovering rogue users, and U.S. Robotics Joins the Wi-Fi Alliance.

FCC to Grant Full Refunds on NextWave Auction Roy Mark
[November 18, 2002] Federal regulators free-up approximately $495 million in refunds and relief from potential $16 billion payment. Several wireless carriers are entitled to wipe the transactions off their books.

Schlotzsky's Warchalks a Stealth Ad Campaign Eric Griffith
[November 11, 2002] Schlotzsky's Deli Cool Cloud Network has launched with free Wi-Fi in locations around Austin and Houston, Texas. But don't look for signs to tell you that. Look for chalk.

Task Force Boosts Spectrum Deregulation Roy Mark
[November 8, 2002] The Spectrum Policy Task Force, created by FCC Chairman Michael Powell, asked for a deregulation of spectrum to spur investment and development in technologies as varied as cellular telephony and ultra wideband.

Wi-Fi News Briefs ISP-Planet Staff
[November 7, 2002] WaveRider runs through the trees of Georgia, a new free hotspot to Czech out, and AMEX-listed USURF acquires NeighborLync.

Segue to the WISPs Eric Griffith
[November 7, 2002] PCTEL's new $2,500 platform is designed to speed adoption of Wi-Fi hotspots by carriers and wireline ISPs by making it easier to offer wireless services to end-users.

WCA: Commercialize Upper Spectrum Roy Mark
[November 7, 2002] WCA member company Tex Enterprises told the FCC that keeping some gigahertz spetrum license free would enable users to sit side by side whether military and civilian or corporate and residential.

Colubris adds Copious Security Eric Griffith
[November 5, 2002] Colubris Networks is adding a variety of security measures to its enterprise wireless LAN (WLAN) products. Some products will meet stringent government security certifications.

Covad and FatPort Work Together Eric Griffith
[October 31, 2002] Canadian hotspot provider FatPort is entering the market south of the border through an alliance with Covad that will supply DSL (where available) to FatPort hotspots in the U.S.

Wi-Fi News Briefs ISP-Planet Staff
[October 22, 2002] Consider TESSCO a Wi-Fi business barometer, GRIC prepares to grow hotspots in Asia, and Ekahau helps figure out who is connecting to what, and where with Agere.

iPass Drops Prices Eric Griffith
[October 16, 2002] Flat fees and per venue prices are out the door as the business-oriented broadband wireless provider goes to a per-minute pricing scheme.

NETGEAR Teams Up With Boingo Eric Griffith
[October 15, 2002] Fixed wireless equipment maker NETGEAR has teamed up with wireless hotspot networker Boingo to market network subscriptions and wireless PC cards.

Getting Down to Wi-Fi Business Jim Wagner
[October 9, 2002] Wireless ISPs around the country are taking a second look at hotspots as a business model. WISPCON II attendees reveal the trials and tribulations of building secure, profitable public hotpots.

Wi-Fi News Briefs ISP-Planet Staff
[October 8, 2002] Meet the Wi-Fi Alliance, discover desktop dual-band from D-Link, and travel to an MMDS Mexico provided by NextNet Wireless and MVS Comunicaciones.