Free Wi-Fi is growing fast, at least in the U.S. Now, all types of venues, including airports, hotels, cafes and even trains have been offering free Wi-Fi in some form. Some have been good at it, while others have stumbled badly, leaving the end user with a burning desire for a paid option that just plain worked.
Interest sparked when McDonald's announced that it was eliminating its limited-access, paid Wi-Fi option and was "going rogue" with all out free Wi-Fi. We're not talking about a few venues, but thousands of hotspots scattered across the county. Add premium coffee to the mix, and you guessed it. Not to be outdone, Starbuck's recently announced they too were going free, and for one-upmanship, they'll be providing digital content that would otherwise not be free if you were outside the range of their Wi-Fi signal.
These were not surprising announcements, since free Wi-Fi was already becoming increasingly accessible as wired and wireless network operators began offering it to their subscribers as a source of differentiation or as a competitive response. In addition, the demand for high bandwidth networks has increased with the introduction of smartphones and now the iPad and other tablets, leading to a 3G capacity crunch in select geographies. Some carriers have dealt with the capacity crunch by implementing a 3G offload strategy that allows the end user to easily connect to Wi-Fi hotspots when in range, at no additional cost.
Can the capacity crunch also impact the free Wi-Fi venues? It sure can, and operators should beware.
Back in the "old days" when laptops ruled the world, there was a self-imposed limit to the number of endpoints that voluntarily connected to a Wi-Fi hotspot in a public venue. The café is a prime example. It was highly unlikely that one would connect if they were short on time, couldn't find an empty table or were running low on battery power with no access to a power outlet. As new portable devices emerge, much of that no longer holds true. For example, lightweight, touch screen tablets that power on instantaneously, have a very long battery life and can be used as easily standing as sitting, will likely result in a spike in the average number of simultaneously connected Wi-Fi endpoints in popular venues.
So now, the free Wi-Fi, doesn't really seem free.
Too many devices leading to a dramatic reduction in the bandwidth available to each device
Additional premium content also clogging up the bandwidth pipes
Easily accessible scams or malware to infect PCs and steal data
Having to wade through multiple screens in order to access the free Wi-Fi, with every provider asking for different information and passwords
No procedures ensuring that a business device has the anti-virus software working and the VPN connected before a mobile employee accessed a critical corporate database
More connection managers are smarter and will move a user to a free Wi-Fi connection if possible, automatically
The image of a user ordering a coffee and instantly working is not entirely true. There may be more hassles and clicks and annoying malware threats than expected.
iPass changes the economics of enterprise mobility for your organization and radically improves the connectivity experience for internet users. We give IT more visibility and control to contain and reduce mobility costs, maintain security and get your mobile workers online faster and easier - anywhere. Check out our new connection manager client, 3G cost reports, and Wi-Fi hotspot finder. For more updates on enterprise mobility management, follow us at http://www.twitter.com/ipass.