Vonage and UTStarcom on Tuesday announced a cell phone-like device that will allow customers to use their Vonage accounts from anywhere there is a Wi-Fi connection.

Initially, the phone will only operate with public networks, meaning hotspots like those in Starbucks or some airports would not be compatible. However, Vonage said that it plans to resolve these issues as soon as possible.

Continue reading →

The city of New Orleans plans to offer free Wi-Fi Internet access to its citizens within a year, Mayor Ray Nagin announced on Tuesday. While most of the network's bandwidth will be marked for use by emergency responders, the remaining capacity would be opened up to the public.

The idea for a wireless network is not new to the Big Easy. The city was already using a small system to monitor security cameras in areas of high crime.

Continue reading →

Networking manufacturer NetGear said on Monday that it would add a disclaimer to its packaging, offer a 15 percent discount on its online store, and pay $700,000 in legal fees in order to settle a class-action lawsuit over misrepresentation of the speed of its wireless products. Details of the settlement were made public in a Friday filing with the SEC.

Netgear was sued in California Superior Court in 2004 for allegations that wireless devices sold by the company did not perform as fast as advertised. A similar suit filed in February was later dismissed. While Netgear has admitted no liability, it will add a disclaimer to its boxes indicating that wireless speeds can vary due to a variety of factors.

Continue reading →

INTERVIEW Municipalities are increasingly looking for new ways to bridge the digital divide, bring their towns into the 21st century and offer residents a more cost-effective high-speed Internet alternative. Cole Reinwand, Director of Next Generation Broadband at EarthLink, recently sat down with BetaNews to discuss the technology behind making the wireless dreams of city planners a reality.

BetaNews: Thanks for joining us. Could you give us an update on what EarthLink is doing in the municipal wireless space? We know you have been selected in Philadelphia and Anaheim, and are a finalist in Minneapolis. We'd like to know where you guys are looking at, what you've been doing and how these networks are going to work.

Continue reading →

Nokia said on Tuesday that it had completed both voice and data calls using the Unlicensed Mobile Access (UMA) standard at a lab in the United States. UMA is a technology that will allow a cellular call to be handed over to a Wi-Fi network. Carriers see UMA as a way to more cheaply extend their wireless networks.

"UMA is poised to open up a number of new opportunities and choices for operators and their end-users," said Mark Louison, senior vice president at Nokia America. "We're one step closer to simplifying the end-user mobile experience to access voice, personal information, and multimedia services on one device irrespective of their location, whether at work, at home, or on the go."

Continue reading →

Internet service provider EarthLink scored another big win in the large area Wi-Fi industry on Wednesday, announcing it was selected by the city of Anaheim to build out its wireless network. Upon approval of the contract, the 50-square mile network would be completed by the end of 2006.

The contract will run for a period of 20 years, and EarthLink would receive exclusive rights to install, operate and maintain the Wi-Fi network during that period. Unlike other deals, the Anaheim network would be privately owned and operated.

Continue reading →

Engineers at Microsoft Research have released a new software tool that enables a computer to connect to multiple Wi-Fi networks simultaneously. With VirtualWiFi, a single wireless card can appear multiple virtual WLAN cards. A user can then configure each to link to a different access point, computer or other device.

The application, which is a prototype project, could also be useful for network diagnostics and expanding the capacity of ad-hoc wireless networks. The 1.0 release of the software does not yet support WEP and has been designed to work with Windows XP. Download VirtualWiFi 1.0 from FileForum.

Continue reading →

Nintendo on Tuesday said that it had struck a deal with wireless provider Wayport to give free Wi-Fi access to Nintendo DS users at more than 6,000 McDonald's locations across the United States.

Users will be able to connect to the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, a wireless gaming service from designed for the Nintendo DS, starting on November 14. All users will have to do is start a game in Wi-Fi Connection mode at any Wi-Fi-enabled McDonald's.

Continue reading →

27 companies announced on Monday that they would be joining forces to promote the next generation of wireless networking technology. The group would be known as the Enhanced Wireless Consortium and will push for the ratification of 802.11n.

802.11n promises connection speeds of up to 600 Mbps. In comparison, 802.11b maxes out at 11 Mbps, and 802.11a and 802.11ag at 54 Mbps. Supporters of the proposed standard also say it conserves battery power due to less time spent transmitting data.

Continue reading →

Nintendo said on Thursday its free Wi-Fi Connection service for wireless gaming will officially launch on November 14. The service will work with the company's Nintendo DS console and support a number of games, including Mario Kart DS, Animal Crossing and Metroid Prime Hunters.

Wi-Fi Connection will be accessible from inside or outside the home, at select Nintendo Hotspots across the United States. The service will also be compatible with Nintendo's next-generation game console, known as the "Revolution." Players can connect and seek out known friends, or automatically play with others based on skill-level.

Continue reading →

Philadelphia announced on Tuesday that it had selected Earthlink as the provider to build out the network that will offer the city's one million residents high-speed wireless Internet access.

The service would be free in public places such as parks, but in order for a resident to receive Wi-Fi in their homes, they will be charged $20 USD per month. A special $10 USD per month rate will be available for low-income families.

Continue reading →

UPDATED Google is testing out a free wireless hotspot service in two locations, company officials acknowledged Tuesday. News of Google Wi-Fi spread following a new download called Google Secure Access that lets users connect to Google's VPN, or virtual private network, in order to keep their Internet connection secure from prying eyes when using Wi-Fi.

Google's wireless plans have been the center of much speculation over the past few months, with the company buying up fiber optic lines and expanding its portfolio with Google Talk and through the purchase of wireless start-up Android. However, Google itself has remained mum on its future plans.

Continue reading →

Many residents of the hurricane stricken areas of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama remain without power and no reliable connection to the outside world. T-Mobile is attempting to alleviate some of that suffering by opening up its hotspots in those three states to the public through Friday. The company would reevaluate the situation at that time.

T-Mobile said that the offer only extends to its wireless Internet services. "This free offer for the states of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama is for Wi-Fi service only, not T-Mobile voice services," the company said. The company offers service at Borders, FedEx/Kinko's and Starbucks among other locations.

Continue reading →

San Francisco has asked nonprofit groups and businesses to begin submitting their ideas on how to make the city a free or low-cost Wi-Fi hotspot -- all 49 square miles of it.

The city government wants to "ensure universal, affordable wireless broadband access for all San Franciscans," and issued guidelines on Tuesday for submissions. The city has also secured deals from computer manufacturers such as Dell to ensure that thousands of computers would make it into low-income neighborhoods, a hallmark of the plan.

Continue reading →

Researchers from Intel announced at a conference in Kyoto, Japan on Friday that they have successfully created a single chip that integrates 802.11a, b and g, as well as the expected specifications of 802.11n. The company plans to use the development as a way to integrate wireless into future Intel products, such as the Centrino platform, at low cost.

802.11n promises to offer better range and higher data rates than current wireless networks. While current wireless technologies only offer a maximum speed of about 54 Mbps, 802.11n will approximately double that to about 100 Mbps.

Continue reading →