WiFi Hotspots About to Go Global?

An interesting turn of events this week showed how some companies may change the way we think about connecting to the Internet in public places. Currently, users have to search out dedicated Wi-Fi hotspots such as those found in bookstores or coffee shops (but I repeat myself). With the new software by TapRoot Systems, Inc up to 5 users could connect to the Internet through a Wi-Fi-enabled 3G mobile phone.

According to the AP article, the software works on phones with Windows Mobile or Nokia's Symbian S60 software (more commonly found in Europe). There is already a program called WMWifirouter (around $22.50) that turns Windows phones into hotspots, and there's one called JoikuSpot (free) for Nokia phones. Right now the limiting factor is the availability of 3G/Wi-Fi phones and the carrier's reticence in allowing the technology to be used in a more widespread manner. No one wants their network traffic to be abused, but it seems fairly simple to limit the traffic on a per-user basis.

Currently AT&T's Tilt and 8525 models will work with this system as will Sprint/Nextel's Mogul phone. We look forward to the addition of more phones that allow this functionality - after all, with the prevalence of mobile phones, it would only be a matter of time until the major metropolitan areas were virtual network meshes of Internet connectivity. The next big hurdle will be "connectivity-jumping" since in a mobile-based mesh network, the access points would, by definition, be constantly moving in and out of range. While you might catch someone in a nearby office building, someone visiting an office, or catching a quick bite to eat would leave users constantly searching for new connections. This would need to be handled transparently and automatically by the software.

Wi-Fi everywhere would be awesome, but it may only happen if companies think long-term and show some vision for a completely networked United States. A national mesh network can only happen via satellite technology, heavy reworking of the infrastructure, or by using local access points which are placed everywhere you want to be. With the current saturation and installed base of cell phone users, this seems to be a valid line of reasoning, especially since full hardware upgrades occur on average every two years. So for now we'll call this a limited but highly promising potential.