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Posts: 3,401 | Thanked: 1,255 times | Joined on Nov 2005 @ London, UK
#4
Unfortunately all this offers is a means to avoid entering a username and a password - you register your T-Mobile/BT Openzone/Cloud/whatever username/password with Devicescape and whenever you connect to one of those networks (which are just 3 from 300 according to Devicescape) the software automatically presents the appropriate credentials. That's nice, but not a great step forward for pervasive WiFi access - it's just a minor convenience but not really a substantial value add. You still need to have accounts with the network vendors (T-Mobile/BT/The Cloud etc.) and if there is a cost for access that's between you and the network vendor nothing to do with Devicescape.

The WiFi hotspot market is so fragmented that if I want to have access to WiFi everywhere in the UK (and by this I mean most large connurbations) the reality is that I need to have monthly contracts (or pay as I go) with at least 3 different network providers (T-Mobile, BT Openzone and The Cloud). Sod that for a laugh!

Where Devicescape could clean up is by offering a service where I sign up with Devicescape and gain access to ALL public WiFi networks EVERYWHERE. Each month I pay Devicescape for the networks and bandwidth I have used (plus a small amount to Devicescape for providing the service) and Devicescape handle appoprtioned payments to the individual networks.

Until someone offers such a single service (maybe someone does already? It seems incredibly obvious though a substantial challenge due to the vested network interests) for all the disparate WiFi networks I'll stick with my 3G cellular network - 3.6Mbit/s £10/month and it works worldwide (although when I'm roaming my cellular speed may be much reduced and the cost much higher, which is where a global roaming WiFi account would really pay off!)

Last edited by Milhouse; 2007-10-10 at 14:58.