Wi-Fi: If Not Free, Then How?
by Volker Weber
For surviving Wi-Fi players to remain afloat, Yunker believes, they'll have to change their business models, offer more all-you-can-surf plans and cut prices. For those who do charge, he believes customers will be comfortable paying rates of about $4 a month for unlimited access to a network of hot spots.
Today, such a price point is out of line with reality. Two of the largest Wi-Fi services, T-Mobile HotSpot and Boingo Wireless, charge $30 a month for unlimited use, not including a $10 discount T-Mobile offers to its cellular customers. In exchange, customers get to connect their laptops at a network of airports, hotels, restaurants and other locales.
That would be $20 for T-Mobile customers today. Nationwide, unlimited. Well, Telekom Germany will give me five hours for 17,10 EUR which is a wee bit more than $20. But not for all of Europe but Germany only. Unlimited is not even available.
And customers would pay $4 per month all-you-can-surf. I guess the marketing guys at Telekom still have a lot to learn.
