Wi-Fi Demands Doubled in 2009, Set to Double Again This Year

BT Openzone are a wireless broadband operator that currently run around 4,000 of the 10,000 broadband Wi-Fi hotspots in the UK, allowing users to connect to a Wi-Fi service in public places across the country, gaining access to high speed broadband from portable devices such as laptops, netbooks and mobile phones.

Despite various laws that are impeding the growth of Wi-Fi networks in the UK, BT Openzone have announced this week that the amount of data travelling through their network has actually doubled in the last year. The company believe that the total is set to double again in 2010 as Wi-Fi before an even more popular form of internet service. The news coincides with an earlier announcement from free wireless broadband scheme Freerunner that the number of hotspots in the UK could triple in the next two years.

Currently there are slightly under a quarter of a million broadband hotspots all over the world and about 10,000 in the UK alone. Some are free but many more charge on a pay as you go or subscription based service. They can often be found in Bars, Airports, Hotels and many other large public places. Some towns even have their own city centre Wi-Fi service and many public transport companies such as National Express have installed Wi-Fi on their coaches.

The increase is likely to be caused by large amount of Wi-Fi enabled technology available on the market including last year?s biggest technology fad ? the netbook, and a new range of Wi-Fi mobile phones. With prices getting cheaper and technology more easy to access, more people are demanding a way to connect to the internet while on the go.

The somewhat disappointing performance of mobile broadband is also fuelling the Wi-Fi boom, with many people who initially brought devices and packages for mobile broadband services turning to Wi-Fi to provide a much faster and more reliable service, even if the range doesn?t even come close to competing with mobile broadband technology.

Some mobile broadband operators have even begun bundling their packages with free Wi-Fi minutes in what would otherwise be subscription based Wi-Fi services.

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