Word: wi
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...sitting on the terrace of the Best Western Gateway Hotel in Santa Monica, Calif., with my laptop open, about to embark on a little adventure. I've been hearing a lot about Wi-Fi lately, and not just from my geekier friends. Everyone who has tried the new high-speed wireless technology loves it--from homeowners who use it to network all their computers, to road warriors who can now go online from airport boarding lounges. And it's spreading to more public places like coffee shops and, not far from my home, this very hotel, where I have decided...
...Best Western Gateway is one of two public "hot spots" listed for Santa Monica in the directory of Boingo Wireless, which offers Wi-Fi access in locations scattered across the country. I have already talked to a preternaturally cheerful customer-service rep and signed up for Boingo, which has a wireless transmitter in the hotel lobby. So I'm ready for action...
...insert my credit card-size Wi-Fi receiver into the PC-card slot of my laptop. The "sniffer" software then checks the air for wireless signals, and a message pops up: "The Boingo Wireless signal is available. Would you like to connect?" A click on the trackpad and I'm online. As my home page loads, I'm tempted to pass my hands over my computer like a magician's assistant: Look, no wires! I access a website that lets me benchmark my download speed; it clocks in at 2,920 kbps, comparable to my home cable-modem connection...
...Wi-Fi won't make 3G obsolete. It's impractical to blanket a city with hot spots. In Asia, access is provided by a hodgepodge of private businesses and independent operators, some offering it for free, others charging small fees. Nevertheless, some think that mobile network operators would be foolish to ignore it. Carriers "can roll out [Wi-Fi] services much quicker than 3G," says Shamir Amanullah, program leader at marketing consultancy Frost & Sullivan in Kuala Lumpur. "3G networks cost up to $1 billion to set up and that won't give them lots of pricing flexibility...
...South Korea, home of some of the most advanced and popular wireless data services, has already caught on. In February, Korea Telecom (KT), the nation's largest telecommunications company, started selling Wi-Fi access in addition to its regular cell-phone service. The company has installed 1,000 access points in major cities and plans to put in thousands more. Competitor Hanaro Telecom has installed another 450 access points in places such as Burger King restaurants. "Koreans are used to high speed Internet in their homes and offices," says Hahn Won Sic, managing director of the fixed-mobile convergence business...