iPhone needs something like Boingo

[eddietr]

How cool would it be if Apple would make a deal with Boingo or something similar to make their WiFi network (and required software) work on the iPhone?

Maybe even include this as part of the "iPlan" or even an add-on.

Boingo is about $8/month and would go a long way towards mitigating the complaints about EDGE speed. A lot of airports that don't have free WiFi, and a lot of Barnes and Nobles and so forth would be available to surf at good speeds.

Between that, my office (where we have WiFi in the cafeteria, meeting rooms, and outside), my clients (where they all have WiFi), and free Google WiFi in the Mt. View area, and of course the WiFi in our house and yard, I would never have to use EDGE at all!

 

[LeeTom]

Huh? Boingo is $39 a month. Also, there's no reason you can't just sign up and use your iPhone with it...

 

[nickspohn]

I used it at ohare once.


I really wasn't impressed with it...


-nickspohn

 

[eddietr]

It's only $7.95 for the "smartphone" edition. I was hoping they would do something similar to that.

I believe the $39 plan is for laptops, and with global roaming at that.

And looking at their site, it seems you need to download their software which is only on windows mobile at the moment. I assume that's so you don't have to manage keys for all the hotspots (and they don't all have to share one key)?

This is the $7.95 plan I was referring to:

http://mobile.boingo.com/

 

[eddietr]

I used it at ohare once.


I really wasn't impressed with it...


-nickspohn

Interesting. I've never used it. What didn't you like?

 

[nickspohn]

Well it might have been because it was so busy at Ohare at the time. It was just mainly slow, and kept timing out.


But it does the job i guess.

-nickspohn

 

[BoingoWiFi]

O'Hare Wi-Fi Network

Well it might have been because it was so busy at Ohare at the time. It was just mainly slow, and kept timing out.

-nickspohn

Nick:

It's possible you passed through O'Hare while the temporary mesh network was in place as the permanent network was being built out. There was a period last fall when the Wi-Fi access in some portions of O'Hare was RF-challenged.

The permanent, enterprise-class network rolled out around Thanksgiving, and performance and stability throughout all terminals is now excellent. We closely monitor these networks to ensure the best possible experience for users.

Please feel free to call our 800 customer care number if you encounter difficulties (800-880-4117) -- in many instances, we can help you out while you are still in the hot spot.

Boingo Wireless Evangelism Team
http://www.boingo.com