By Sue Marek, January 14, 2003
Bell Canada and San Diego, Calif.-based technology consulting firm inCode Telecom have come up with an innovative new use for payphones. The two companies have developed a strategy and technology that turns existing payphones into Wi-Fi hotspots.
Bell Canada is the first wireline operator to implement this strategy, which uses the existing wireline infrastructure to transform an area of up to 300 feet around the payphone into a Wi-Fi hotspot, allowing business travelers to access the Internet to download data.
In addition, Bell Canada is using AccessZone, a Wi-Fi hotspot pilot service that enables mobile users to connect 802.11b-enabled devices like laptops and PDAs to payphone access points in high-traffic areas.
According to InCode, Bell Canada is the first wireline operator to revamp some of its payphones into Wi-Fi hotspots, however the company expects other wireline operators to follow suit. 'We expect U.S. carriers to follow in Bell Canada's footsteps very soon,' says inCode Telecom CEO John Donovan.
And while turning payphones into Wi-Fi hotspots could equate to added revenue opportunities for wireline operators, it also signals more competition for wireless carriers. inCode envisions enterprise workers using these hotspots to access their corporate data and paying wireline carriers for that privilege, which is exactly the same audience that many wireless operators are hoping to attract with their 2.5G and 3G data services.
Reprinted with permission