FON and Time Warner Cable have announced a deal that will allow Time Warner customers to deploy FON wireless access points and provide free WiFi access to other Time Warner (and FON) customers. FON is a Spanish company that sells (and sometimes gives away) wireless routers for people wanting to turn their home networks into public WiFi hotspots. FON counts Google, Skype, and Sequoia Capital among its investors.
Called “La Fonera,” the router users two channels: one for access to other “Foneros” and a private, secured network for the router’s owner. Router owners can decide how to apportion their bandwidth between their home and public networks. The public network is free for other Foneros; nonmembers can pay $2-3 for a day’s access after registering via a web interface.
FON launched its router service last fall and has so far seen most of its growth in Europe. The deal with Time Warner marks its first major entry into the US market. It also marks a change of heart for Time Warner, which like most other ISPs, has not looked too kindly on its customers sharing their bandwidth. Under the terms of the deal, the financial details of which remain undisclosed, Time Warner’s 6.6 million residential cable Internet subscribers are now also Foneros.
“We are pleased to welcome Time Warner Cable subscribers to the global FON community,” said Joanna Rees, CEO of FON U.S. “Success for FON depends on extending Internet access to our user bases outside the home or office without requiring individuals to rely on costly and problematic remote access solutions.”
Related Posts
- Cable boxes with 802.11 are coming
- Time Warner Cable to Test Out COMBINED Monthly Upload and Download Cap
- Time Warner Cable to offer digital recording option
- Time Warner Cable to Test Out Broadband ‘Consumption-Based Billing’
- Cable providers going after Wi-Fi pirates
Loading ...
