LEDBURY, U.K.-The number of wireless local are network hot spots in Europe will rise by more than 20,000 by 2007, according to a new report from telecommunications consulting firm BWCS.
“The bulk of the growth will come from locations such as cafes, bars and restaurants,” said Peter Bell, BWCS analyst and co-author of the report. “However, the majority of revenues will be generated at the high-usage sites such as airports and hotels, which are frequented by business travelers.”
BWCS predicts fixed-line and cellular-phone companies will dominate Europe’s Wi-Fi landscape, rather than independent wireless Internet service providers and warns wireless LAN operators should not count on success. “European operators should be wary of over-committing themselves; things are still at a very early stage in terms of the development of hot-spot networks,” said Bell. “Successful hot-spot business models require a tight focus on the operator’s existing customer base and its core competencies.”
