MCI announced a major expansion today of the number of wireless hotspots available across the globe to its large-business consumers.
The telecommunications carrier has launched 1300 new Wi-Fi hotspots in Europe and the Asia/Pacific region, and will launch 3400 U.S. hotspots in May, the company said. Before the expansion, corporate customers of MCI's wireless service had access to about 6200 hotspots worldwide.
In addition to covering typical Wi-Fi locations such as airports and hotels, the MCI expansion will bring hotspots to new places where MCI customers have requested coverage, including cafes, bookstores, and business service centers, according to Kevin Gatesman, senior manager of emerging technologies at MCI. Some of the new hotspots expand options in regions where MCI already offers service, while others are in new U.S. regions or new countries.
The enlarged Wi-Fi network results from an enhanced agreement between MCI and Boingo Wireless. The new hotspots will primarily be located in the United States, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, France, Belgium, Germany, Hong Kong, and Japan. MCI hotspots are now available in several countries where they weren't previously: Greece, Germany, Ireland, Switzerland, Spain, the Philippines, and the Hong Kong region of China.
Part of a Package
The Wi-Fi service is part of an MCI service for medium-size and large businesses called Remote Access Services, which includes dial-up, virtual private network connections. Accompanying the MCI service is a software package that links users to the Internet via the connection of their choice.
While other carriers offer Wi-Fi access, MCI service ties Wi-Fi, dial-up, and broadband wired access together in one package, with thousands of hotspots and connection options, Gatesman said. MCI customers don't need a separate subscription to multiple wireless providers for Wi-Fi access, he said.
The MCI service is available for $40 a month as an add-on to dial-up service, with unlimited Wi-Fi usage. A time-based plan charges $8 an hour for the first hour, to a maximum of $15 a day.
MCI plans to continue expanding the number of hotspots its plan offers, Gatesman said. "I expect there will be more as we proceed through the rest of 2005 and beyond," he said.
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