Are Hotspots important?

Posted by Steve on Nov 2, 2009 in News

The question is really, what do you get at a hotspot? You get WIFI access to the internet. That means you get broadband speeds without having to pay for wireless devices from Optus and Telstra which are very expensive and you don’t need to plug your laptop into a cable (or visa versa). But more important than your laptop, what about your mobile phone? Most mobile phones these days provide internet access, either using something like Wireless modems (very expensive) or WiFi via your home, office, or public hotspot (no extra cost, except perhaps extra download charges).

I just read a report from in-stat.com which claims that most of the increased usage of HotSpots is generated by SmartPhones, like Apple’s iPhone. It seems that more and more people are using their mobile at hotspots rather than a laptop. I guess these smart phones allow you to access the internet for important things, like email, Google Maps, the weather, stock market prices etc… but the big thing, I think, will be the use of VoIP. I mean, why would you make a call (in a hotspot) at a mobile call rate when you can use your Skype account or Fring (when using with your VoIP account)?

Seems like the future rests in Wifi, whether at hotspots or using the old Analogue TV’s whitespace. Watch this space, should be quite interesting.