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Cometa WiFi Hotspot Network To Shut Down

Posted by simoniker on from the not-so-hot dept.

Glenn Fleishman writes "The folks who announced in Dec. 2002 that they would install 20,000 for-fee Wi-Fi hotspots across the U.S. within two years ago reached several hundred locations in 18 months before shutting down today. Cometa Networks was funded partly by Intel Capital, and had AT&T and IBM's involvement in building the network. The firm resold access to its network, and urged partners to charge low rates, like $3 to $5 per day or $12 per month for unlimited access. Cometa lost its best chance for a big network last month, when McDonald's picked Wayport to build out over 12,000 Wi-Fi hotspots in the U.S." There's now an official press release up, with the CEO noting: "We do not think this reflects on the strength of the Wi-Fi industry or value proposition."

3 of 111 comments (clear)

  1. A glimpse at their business plan by ptomblin · · Score: 5, Funny

    1. Spend millions install WiFi hardware at thousands of hotspots
    2. Give away free Internet access at these sites
    3. ....
    4. Profit!

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    The next Cmdr Taco duplicate will be ready soon, but subscribers can beat the rush and see it early!
  2. A Better Plan by tomwhore · · Score: 5, Insightful

    1) Educate folks to build free community wireless netowrks

    2) Help them build it

    3) Tie them togther

    4) Enjoy

    Personal Telco Project

    "Making tomorrows today yesterday"

    --
    Poor little clams! Snap! Snap! Snap! Poor little clams! Snap! Snap! Snap! Poor little clams! Snap! Snap! Snap!
  3. too bad (not really) by admiralfrijole · · Score: 5, Interesting

    i have to say that last summer, I was in NYC for MacWorld, and stopped in at a McDonalds to try out their new WiFi and stuff, got my value meal and a little card with a scratch off area and a access code under it, and went upstairs. I sat down, ate, and pulled out my PowerBook. It saw the AP no problem, connected right up, and when I launched Safari, it went right to my home page. no login or anything.

    Now I know that it was a trial location, and this was possibly one of the reasons that McDs went with the other company, but I'm not so sure I'm sad that a company whose security on their APs was so lax to go out of business.

    I mean, open APs are nice, but its really not in the public good, becuase they would have ended up getting abused for spammers and warez and such.

    (and yes, it was Cometa, because the little card has their logo on it)

    oh well...my $0.02

    --
    e to the pi i plus one equals zero