Sept/Oct 2005

A network of public Wi-Fi hotspots that are free to the user and also free to the host - it sounds too good to be true, but Free-hotspot.com was launched in Britain and the Continent in September, and started out with a claimed network of 6,000 locations already in place - primarily at hotels and restaurants.

The trick is that the service is funded by advertising, and users have to be willing to accept targeted online advertising while they are logged on to it. The company says it is working with local, national and multinational advertisers and agencies to develop 'online marketing programmes and initiatives'.

The big attraction the company is pushing to advertisers is that users are a very tightly-defined demographic group - people who are interested in and savvy about Wi-Fi and related technologies. The company also points out that promotion can be targeted very tightly to specific geographical areas.

There are certainly attractions for users, who face no limits on online time or data download volumes. For hosts such as restaurants, the company is providing the hotspot equipment free of charge, so there are attractions for them too.

Free-hotspot.com is based in Dublin, and is a subsidiary of a California-based marketing company, Ancapa, which specialises in placing online advertising.