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BT and FON launch largest Wi-Fi community
Author: Phil CogarPublished: 4th October 2007
The La Fonera router from FON will allow you to make some money from your home broadband connection.
FON, for those that may not have heard, sells a wireless router that allows you to share a slice of your connection with other FON users. The setup works by splitting the wireless signal into two parts - a normal signal for your home networks and another for FON users only.
Why would you want to share your connection for someone else? Well besides sharing your connection with others, you'll be able to access other FON hotspots as well. Non-FON users will also be able to access your connection on a pay-as-they-go basis allowing you to collect 50 percent of the revenue. So not only will you get access to other wireless connections for free but you'll also make some money. What's not to like about that?
FON has previously been available in other parts of the globe but has just recently launched in the UK. The company has joined forces with BT in order to create the largest wireless network in the world. With over three million subscribers to BT's Total Broadband, it seems very likely that will happen.
“We are giving our millions of Total Broadband customers a choice and an opportunity. If they are prepared to securely share a little of their broadband, they can share the broadband at hundreds of thousands of FON and BT Openzone hotspots today, without paying a penny," said Gavin Patterson, BT Group managing director.
BT will open up the premium BT Openzone hotspots for free to FON users.
While FON has announced a partnership with BT, the router is available on its own from FON's website. However, be sure to check with your broadband ISP that it's OK to share your connection with other users.
Think you'll join the FON network and help build the largest wireless community in the world? Tell us what you think about FON over in the forums.
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Comments (13)Stats: 0.151 seconds
Currently running as a bill and i'm _actually_ getting paying users! although not many or much.
The idea is great, I just need to move near to a cafe/coffee shop/pub and see how it goes then....
It sounds really cool. Over here there's alot of issues with people using other people's connections and the legality of it.
(My belief is that if you don't lock your router, its like someone watching your TV cause you have the blinds open.)
It would be nice to see something like this that does away with all that kind of stuff.
If its fast and secure then I say that it should be implemented with full force.
On the money side, what does it pay? About the same as putting banner ads on a website?
At anyrate, if the price was similar to typical broadband with comparable speeds, I'm all for this!
lol, just buy linksys next time. they last for damn near ever, and since 802.11n was recently ratified (was surprised it didn't make bit-tech) the first final rev wireless-n hardware will be out soon
Was it the Linksys router that they shipped free that you bricked? if so in most cases they can be unbricked without resorting to soldering a jtag to the router.
Also, for those of us that live in the middle of nowhere (me when i am at home) this just basically gives free wireless broadband in loads of locations doesn't it? I can't really see someone parking on our drive just to use the internet!:|
The way I understand the law in the UK is that the owner of the access point is ultimately responsible for what happens on it.
From speaking to an ex-colleague (SysAd at an UK ISP) when he had to deal with the relevant Police department that deals with Internet crimes (I forget the actual name of it) they stated that having an open wireless network and claiming that 'someone else' used the access point to break the law is not an excuse in the eyes of the law, It is your access point and your responsibility.
This seems to have stemmed from issues where peado's would leave their wifi open so that when a knock on the door came from the law sicko would claim no knowledge and state that someone else must have done it as their wifi was not secure.
As far as I'm aware with Fon users must register when accessing the service, while this info can be faked, it at least gives you something to provide to the law in the event of someone breaking the law via your net connection.
Sorry if the above is not very coherent, i'm on night shifts this week and not getting enough sleep :(