Wireless local area network aggregator Boingo Wireless Inc. reported a roaming agreement with WorldCom Inc., providing the telecommunications provider’s MCI customers with remote access service to Boingo’s more than 2,000 global wireless hot-spot access points. MCI noted it currently has about 600 Wi-Fi access points, and it plans to add another 3,000 wired and wireless hot-spot locations by the end of next year.
Wireless retailer Car Toys said it added Sprint PCS products and services to its 59 outlets across the country, bringing the company’s total wireless selection to five of the top six nationwide providers, including AT&T Wireless Services Inc., Nextel Communications Inc., T-Mobile USA and Verizon Wireless.
Shortly after announcing its picture-messaging handset and infrastructure providers, Western Wireless Corp. announced its picture-messaging service called Hello2Pix. The carrier said the service allows its Cellular One customers to send multimedia messages, including pictures, sound and text, all in one message directly from their wireless phones. Hello2Pix will be available in markets in Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota and Texas. Customers who sign up for Hello2Pix service before March 31 will receive four months of unlimited messages for $4. Western Wireless is selling an Audiovox Communications Corp. camera phone and is using MMS infrastructure from L.M. Ericsson.
Premium text-messaging company mBlox Inc. announced its new USA Premium SMS product set, which the company said will allow mobile marketers, advertisers, retail outlets and affinity networks to offer short-code-based premium messaging services. mBlox said its new product includes messaging delivery, revenue settlement and microbilling. The wireless industry recently cooperated on the creation of a universal short-code program, and most carriers have installed premium billing systems.
