Free WiFi Networks Fighting Boingo

from the cooperation-or-just-trying-to-get-something-for-nothing? dept

There's apparently an interesting battle going on between the various providers of free wireless access points around the country and Boingo, the company that is trying to offer a single service to log onto multiple WiFi networks. Boingo is trying to get the operators of various free access points to offer their access point info in Boingo's databases of hotspots. In exchange they get... well... nothing. Of course, anyone who can look up the websites of these free efforts could access the networks without having to pay Boingo a subscription fee. But, from Boingo's perspective (of course) this simply raises the number of hotspots they offer - without making them pay anything for it. Seems like a good deal for Boingo. The folks who offered free access points felt they (at the very least) deserved a free Boingo connection.

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