Subject: [NEXTEL-1] Hoping For Hot Spots; Company Aims To Wire Bars, Parks

From: Marcel <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 29 Dec 2002 12:54:53 -0500

Hoping For Hot Spots; Company Aims To Wire Bars, Parks
Source: Dayton Daily News
Publication date: 2002-12-23
Arrival time: 2002-12-25

AirWave WiFi connects more places to Internet

DAYTON - A local Internet service provider wants to ignite hot spots in
Miami Valley restaurants, hotels and anywhere else people have spare time
and a computer.

AirWave WiFi has launched a wireless, high-speed Internet access point - a
hot spot - at the Dublin Pub, 300 Wayne Ave., Dayton. It's the first of what
company President Jim Evans hopes will be several such points positioned
throughout the Miami Valley and beyond.

A "hot spot" is a facility equipped for wireless fidelity Internet. Subscribers
with wireless-equipped laptops or hand-held computers can go online
without tapping into the Internet via cables, DSL lines and telephone jacks.

Evans believes restaurants, car dealerships, hair salons, malls and parks all
are potential spots for the service. His market includes "any place people
have to spend time," he said.

Evans claims that AirWave WiFi is the first Dayton Internet service provider
to offer hot spots. However, similar services are springing up in major cities
such as New York, Los Angeles and Chicago and the trend seems to be
gaining steam.

Nationally, big players are lining up to gain a foothold in the wireless fidelity
market. Verizon Communications Inc., Wayport Inc., Boingo Wireless,
Intel, IBM and AT&T are among the telecommunications industry
companies looking to capitalize on the trend by launching thousands of hot
spots.

Gartner Inc., a technology research company, projects that wireless
hotspots will grow by about 600 percent in North America between 2003 and
2005. The number of mobile computer users regularly accessing the Internet
at the sites is projected to increase from almost none last year to 4.5 million
by 2005, the technology research company said.

In Dayton, AirWave is looking to have a second hot spot up and running in
Zola's restaurant by early January and is speaking with other potential
customers in the area, Evans said.

Individuals buy a set number of wireless hours from AirWave through a
subscription. Each time a subscriber taps into the service, the company
logs the amount of time and the location. At the end of the month, AirWave
calculates the total time a wireless connection was used in a particular
venue and sends it a commission check.

AirWave also handles all the billing and promotes the venues on its Web
pages.

Initially, Evans said he expects to encounter some resistance because the
concept is new. But he looks for wider acceptance as business owners are
exposed to wireless fidelity Internet in Dayton and elsewhere. Big
companies such as McDonald's and Starbucks already are looking at
their own wireless fidelity initiatives.

Founded in 1995, AirWave provides broadband, fixed wireless access to
business and residential customers. Evans said he hopes to expand
AirWave's wireless fidelity network beyond Ohio's borders. Initially, though,
the company will focus its efforts on Dayton.

"It's really slick the way it functions," he said of the technology. "It's
seamless."

Contact Tim Tresslar at 225-7404 or at [email-masked]

Publication date: 2002-12-23

http://cnniw.yellowbrix.com/pages/cnniw/Story.nsp?story_id=35419796&ID=cnniw&scategory=Telecommunications%3AWireless&

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