Subject: [NEXTEL-1] McWi-Fi?

From: Marcel <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 12 Mar 2003 03:22:54 -0500

-------- Original Message --------
From: [email-masked]
Subject: McWi-Fi?

Intel heats up support for 'hot spots'
By Sandeep Junnarkar
CNET News.com
March 11, 2003, 7:22 AM PT
URL: http://zdnet.com.com/2100-1103-991966.html 

Hot spots may be a sweet spot for Intel, if a new string of deals for the 
chipmaker is any indication. On Tuesday, the list of companies teaming with 
Intel to help promote "hot spots" for wireless Internet access grew by three: 
Hilton Hotels & Resorts, Borders Group and McDonald's. 

The upsurge in Wi-Fi deals and alliances comes ahead of Intel's Wednesday 
launch of its Centrino wireless technology. The array of new chips and related 
products is designed to allow built-in wireless capabilities in notebook PCs. 
Centrino includes the Pentium-M processor, a chipset and a Wi-Fi module. 

The hotelier said it plans to install hot spots at nearly 50 of its Hilton-
branded hotels and resorts that will provide its guests with high-speed 
wireless links to the Internet. The hot spots will appear in major cities in 
North America within the next 30 days, the company said. The next step of the 
plan calls for an expansion of the access points across Hilton's 230 full-
service properties in the United States, Canada and Mexico over the next few 
months. 

The hot spots, located in hotel lobbies, lounges, restaurants and public areas, 
will use 802.11b networking technology. 

Borders Group said that it plans to launch a marketing campaign with Intel to 
promote hot spots at more than 400 of its Borders Books & Music stores across 
the United States. 

McDonald's, meanwhile, is set to announce plans to provide hot spots at its 
fast-food restaurants in three U.S. cities, offering one hour of free access to 
customers who purchase a combination meal, according to the Associated Press. 
By the end of 2003, the fast-food chain will have hot spots at about 300 
restaurants in New York, Chicago and an unnamed California town, according to 
the AP.  
 	 
Hot spots are proliferating around the world as a wide range of companies rush 
to provide Wi-Fi services to business travelers who are seen as more likely 
than consumers to be willing to pay for wireless Internet access. Many hot 
spots offer free access, but security concerns often make business travelers 
leery about logging on. Other companies that have announced Wi-Fi plans in the 
past few weeks include Toshiba, Marriott International and Ericsson.

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