Boingo Opens Up to Mobile Wi-Fi

Boingo is opening up its worldwide network of Wi-Fi hotspots to Wi-Fi enabled Pocket PCs and Windows Mobile 5 devices.

The problem of having a Wi-Fi enabled wireless device like a smartphone or PDA is that most Wi-Fi hotspots are designed to let users sign on with a notebook computer—and that’s particularly true if you’re a frequent traveler and you’re trying to guarantee yourself Internet access by signing on to a Wi-Fi network service.

Leading Wi-Fi network operator Boingo Wireless is starting to address that problem by opening up its worldwide network of Wi-Fi hotspots to Pocket PC and Windows Mobile 5 phones and wireless devices via Boingo Mobile. Once installed, the free Boingo Mobile software enables automatic connections and roaming authentication on services offered by more than 150 wireless network operators in more than 60 countries around the world. Subscribers may suse any Internet-enabled application on their phones and mobile devices, including VoIP and email applications, SMS messaging, accessing online news, uploading and downloading files, connecting with corporate or organizational networks, or (gasp!) even playing games.

“Wi-Fi enabled phones just became a whole lot more useful,” said Tim Farrell, Boingo’s VP product management and professional services. “With the worldwide access of Boingo Mobile, subscribers can use their phones for the applications that make them more productive, let them stay in touch or just have a little more fun.”

Boingo Mobile users can subscribe to flat-rate service for a $7.95/month; Boingo Mobile is also available for Belkin’s Wi-Fone for Skype, and at this week’s 3GSM conference, Boingo is demonstrating a version of Boingo Mobile for Nokia’s Symbian-based S60 phones. The company says it expects to be able to offer Boingo Mobile service to other classes of Wi-Fi enabled devices—like media players, gaming systems, digital cameras, and additional handsets&mdahs;in the “near future.”