SBC Communications Inc. is aggressively rolling out plans for a public Wi-Fi network, said company spokesman Michael Coe, according to a CNET report.
Coe said the company is shopping around for equipment for public hot spots that will allow SBC customers to access the Internet or corporate applications from public places like coffee shops or hotels. The company is already selling Wi-Fi access points to SBC Yahoo DSL subscribers and corporate customers, he added. SBC also recently made Brooks McCorlce vice president of Wi-Fi, charged with finding the best way to deploy Wi-Fi networks.
Potential competition in the sector includes other telecom and cable companies already offering high-speed Internet access and attempting to cash in on the growing popularity of Wi-Fi technology.
Comcast’s Chief Technology Officer David Fellows said this week that his company will be watching as rivals roll out Wi-Fi, and if they are successful, he is confident Comcast can follow suit. Fellows, however, cited interference, overcrowding, and security issues that make him wary of launching commercial service in unlicensed spectrum.
The companies’ comments follow Verizon Wireless’ recent news that it will launch Wi-Fi in New York City, using payphones as hot-spot nodes. Several European telecommunications carriers, including Deutsche Telekom and France Telecom, are also aggressively rolling out Wi-Fi networks.
