Chipmaker AMD will launch a hotspot service next quarter, according to The Register. The company’s Web site indicates that it will provide free Wi-Fi access under the AMD Hotspot brand. The service is already available at more than 300 hotspots around the company, and AMD says it is adding new locations every day. AMD said it is not discussing its hotspot initiative publicly at this time. — March 18, 2004
The United Kingdom’s Suffolk College has deployed a wireless network. The college, located in Ipswich, England, is using Airespace’s Wireless Enterprise Platform to provide Wi-Fi for students, faculty and campus visitors. — March 18, 2004
Swisscom Eurospot, a unit of the Swiss telecommunications company Swisscom AG, has announced a new roaming agreement with TeliaSonera Finland Oyj. Under the agreement, Swisscom customers will have access to 250 hotspots in Finland. Swisscom said earlier this week that it now has 2,000 hotspots in 10 European countries: Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom. Of those locations, 750 are up-and-running. Customers have access to an additional 1,120 hotspots through partnerships with operators such as Telia Homerun, Swisscom Mobile and Telia Sonera. — March 18, 2004
U.K. hotspot provider Broadreach Networks has rolled out its ReadytoSurf Wi-Fi service in selected train stations in England. The service, which will be available for free for the next six months, is now available to passengers in the first-class lounges at London Euston, Coventry, Birmingham New Street, Stoke-on-Trent and Manchester Piccadilly. Broadreach plans to extend the service to 16 more stations later this year. — March 17, 2004
Airnyx AG, a German hotspot operator, has partnered with WeRoam to increase its wireless footprint. Airnyx has more than 400 hotspots across Germany at gas stations, coffee shops, among other locations. According to the company, the agreement with WeRoam means that Germany’s entire Agip gas station network will be covered. — March 17, 2004
iPass customers can now access Cometa Networks hotspots. The service is available to enterprise customers through the iPassConnect interface. Cometa has hotspots at Barnes & Noble bookstores, McDonald’s restaurants and Tully’s coffee shops, as well as other locations in Seattle. — March 16, 2004
