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Ericsson Predicts Swift End For Wi-Fi Hotspots

Posted by Zonk on from the kind-of-in-their-interest-to-do-so dept.

mikesd81 writes "Mobile technology group Ericsson is predicting a 'swift end' for Wi-Fi hotspots, according to the PC Pro site. Johan Bergendahl, the company's chief marketing officer, offers this analysis: 'The rapid growth of mobile broadband is set to make Wi-Fi hotspots irrelevant ... Hotspots at places like Starbucks are becoming the telephone boxes of the broadband era. Industry will have to solve the international roaming issue ... Carriers need to work together. It can be as simple as paying 10 euros per day when you are abroad.' He also pointed to a lack of coverage as a potential hindrance to the growth of the technology."

9 of 286 comments (clear)

  1. Simple, right... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    It can be as simple as paying 10 euros per day when you are abroad.' Ten Euros a day? Well gee, at that low low price, Wi-Fi hotspots don't stand a chance! /sarcasm
  2. I fail to see the correlation. by Damocles+the+Elder · · Score: 5, Insightful

    If I sit down at a place and have the option to either A.) Connect to a free wireless hub, or B.) Pay exorbitant amounts to connect my phone to my computer and connect at a horrible speed, which one am I going to choose?

    Wait, don't tell me, I can figure this one out...

    1. Re:I fail to see the correlation. by One+Childish+N00b · · Score: 5, Insightful

      The correlation is this: Ericsson are a dealer in mobile internet devices. It is in their interest for people to move to mobile internet devices as people who buy mobile internet devices might by an Ericsson one. Ericsson don't do wifi hotspots, so there is no way using wifi hotspots puts money from your wallet into Ericsson's pocket. This displeases Ericsson, so they will now crow from the rooftops that wifi hotspots are dead, in a bid to drum up business for their absurdly-tariffed mobile internet devices.

      Does anybody seriously listen when companies come out with this sort of self-serving 'analyses'? Do they think these companies make these statements out of the goodness of their hearts? If one person switches to a mobile internet device because of this, they're an idiot. Doublly so if they buy an Ericsson.

      (Posted from a wifi hotspot).

      --
      Dealing with lawyers would be a lot less tedious if they all looked like Casey Novak.
    2. Re:I fail to see the correlation. by Dice+Fivefold · · Score: 5, Informative

      What you don't understand is that Johan lives in Sweden, here mobile broadband has really taken off lately. Our operators is offering very reasonable, almost flat rate, high speed mobile broadband deals. For 30 $/month you get about 5-10 GB traffic/month, at up to 7.2 mbit/s download speed and 0.4 mbit/s upload. Many here cut their old land-based broadband and just use mobile. It really makes no sense to hunt for silly hotspots, when i can use my regular broadband where ever i wish to go, with no extra charge. So from a Swedish perspective, what he says is rather obvious. It is just a matter of time until this applies to the US and the rest of the world as well.

  3. Amazing how companies are unrealistic. by Lumpy · · Score: 5, Insightful

    As soon as I can get cellular wifi for free, then and ONLY THEN will wifi hotspots go away. Until then the entire article is nothing but uneducated posturing by a company that has zero clue as to how the public actually uses the internet.

    Cellular modems are typically very slow unless you buy the high speed broadband type. And that's $50.00 a month for limited use. Even when I have my cellular modem with me I still use public wifi when it's available. It's faster, not capped with hidden transfer caps, and honestly smoother.

    Granted my only experience is with Verizon's and AT&T's offering. but wifi hot spots are here to stay.

    --
    Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
  4. they have always been irrelevant, by siddesu · · Score: 5, Insightful

    especially in the form that is available now in most places. the problem with hotspots is their accidental availability -- you can never be sure that you will end near one when you need it, so rebuilding your "mobile internet experience" around them is pretty stupid. that being said, even when you know you can't rely on them, they can be a nice surprise. that's how i am treating the occasional hotspot -- as a convenience, sometime nice, and (very rarely) helpful in emergencies. that is as much i can say about hotspots.

    now, the issue of mobile connectivity is a different matter altogether. there is only one huge reason we still can't have reasonable mobile connectivity. it is because the mobile carriers are hellbent on not letting their networks 'decay' into something similar to the open internet, where they'll have to make money from network connectivity, and probably lose out on all their stupid "markup" services that are pushed onto the mobile users -- ridiculous "ringtone" downloads, ridiculous "official sites" and what not. once mobile connectivity becomes ubiquituous, all those "business models" will go, and most likely on day zero.

    until the governments (or, eventually, the invisible hand) turn the mobile services oligopolies into something more competitive, changes will be coming at the usual glacial speed.

  5. Telco Business Plan by jayveekay · · Score: 5, Insightful

    1. Get the government to grant you a monopoly on providing communications service.
    2. Charge high fees to your (trapped) customers.
    3. Profit!

    Free (or cheap) Wifi has to be eliminated as part of step #1.

  6. Premises by EelBait · · Score: 5, Insightful

    "Carriers will need to work together." Yeah, like that is going to happen. It took an act of Congress in the US to get our phone numbers portable. Do people really think that this sort of cooperation just magically happens?

  7. "Just 10 euros" by Sta7ic · · Score: 5, Insightful

    A quick check says that 10 euros is US$15. Let's look at some interesting metrics.

    * My 10 meg cable is $50/month or so
    * My rent is $645/month
    * My car payment is $420/month
    * Dinner and a good beer at the pub is about $15-20
    * This service would cost $450/month

    So, "internet freedom" would cost 2/3rds of a month of rent, as much as eating dinner out almost every day, nine times what my statically located service is (where I spend most of my time), and would give me little benefit compared to making a car payment.

    I think "just 10 euros" are much better spent on practical things.