* MCI plans to its double hot spots
MCI has announced plans to nearly double its wireless Internet access footprint by adding 4,700 hot spots in the U.S., Europe and Asia Pacific. Located in coffee shops, bookstores, retail outlets and postal centers, the new hot spots are designed to help the carrier’s corporate customers stay connected while they travel.
MCI already had 6,200 hot spots located in hotels, airports, restaurants and convention centers in 36 countries. Now through an expanded partnership with Boingo Wireless, MCI is adding 1,300 hot spots in Europe and Asia Pacific and 3,400 hot spots in the U.S. All of the new hot spots will be online in May.
The new hot spots are “going to provide us with a lot better access for the windshield warriers,” says Kevin Gatesman, senior manager for emerging technologies with MCI. “With hot spots at cafes, retail and business centers, we will be able to address certain users needs…such as sales people, field technicians and insurance claims adjusters.”
All total, MCI will have 10,900 hot spots. This compares to 9,100 for AT&T and more than 14,200 for iPass, two of MCI’s biggest rivals in the area of enterprise mobility services. Wireless leader Sprint has more than 14,000 hot spots available internationally, most of which are in hotels, airports and convention centers. Sprint spokesman John Polivka says the company has several deals pending that will increase this number. “Wi-Fi is a crucial part of our wireless portfolio,” Polivka says.
MCI officials say in order to meet the requirements of most global multinational corporations, there needs to be 20,000 hot spots. “To be a serious contender you have to get to that point,” Gatesman says.
But he points out that the hot spot arms race isn’t all about numbers. Corporate customers are interested in where the hot spots are located as well as the security of the access services that are provided.
“There are lots of hot spot network operators, and the barrier to entry is pretty low,” Gatesman continues. “For us, the hot spots have to pass the acid test for security and reliability.”
MCI’s wireless Internet access services come bundled with MCI Access Manager, a remote access client that allows users to access corporate VPNs through secure connections. MCI Access Manager, which also supports dial up and DSL access, allows users to connect to corporate networks without incurring long-distance or international calling fees.
MCI has thousands of corporate customers of its Access Manager product, but only a few use its Wi-Fi service. MCI is hoping that by expanding its Wi-Fi footprint, it will attract more users.
“Our Wi-Fi usage has been somewhat limited to date, but now that we’re adding so many hot spots we’re hoping to attract more customers,” Gatesman says.
MCI says it will continue to grow its Wi-Fi footprint during 2005. “We tend to be very focused on the right type of hot spots – the right type of venue and meeting certain security requirements,” Gatesman says.
MCI customers can choose from two billing plans for its Wi-Fi service: either a usage-based option or a flat monthly rate.
