Will the hotspot hype go cold? [wireless LAN]

Wireless LAN (local area network) hotspots for public Internet access are springing up everywhere. In the UK, BT Openzone is aiming for 4000 hotspots and WLAN revenues of #31m by 2005. T-Mobile wants to install 3000 this year, partly through a deal with the US coffee house Starbucks. Intel is partnering with UK slot-machine operator Leisure Link, BT and Ericsson to install 30,000 in pubs and clubs. On top of that, Mapesbury Communications is putting hotspots into Texaco´s UK network of 1400 service stations. Intel has also launched the Centrino processor for WLAN connectivity. However, the public may be less interested in wireless hotspots than operators expect, the author finds.