Wi-Fi Hotspots!

Do you crave wireless Internet access for your laptop while you are away from your home or office? The good news is that there are a bunch of companies eager to bring you that wireless Internet access on the road. The bad news is that you may very well have to pay for that wonderful Wi-Fi hotspot. The world is opening up to Wi-Fi Internet access, and there are scads of folks willing to charge you for that privilege--from the smallest cafe through the biggest corporations.

If your plan for wireless Internet access away from home consists of a bunch of clandestine wardriving, you probably want to check one of the many websites that provide info on open access points ... Not that we're advocating that kind of mobile mischief. To be sure, there are issues involved with hopping on someone else's network without their permission. If they're cool with it, that's great. But if not, let the bandwidth borrower beware. Wireless security is an important, yet often overlooked issue.

Lets take a look at some of the leading wireless Internet access hotspot providers ....

T-Mobile HotSpots can be found at Starbucks coffee shops, Borders bookstores, and Kinko's copy store, as well as in American, Delta, United, and US Airways airline clubs. T-Mobile offers an unlimited access plan at $29.99 per month with a twelve-month contract. They also offer an unlimited plan at $39.99 on a month-to-month basis, pre-paid 24 hour daily plans at $9.99 per day, and an hourly access plan.

Wayport provides hotspots at 600 hotels, selected McDonalds fast food emporiums, half a dozen airports (Austin, Buffalo-Niagara, Dallas-Fort-Worth International, Oakland, San Jose, and Seattle-Tacoma), as well as their Laptop Lane locations at airports including Chicago's O'Hare, New York's LaGuardia, and Salt Lake City International. Like T-Mobile, Wayport offers an unlimited access plan at $29.95 per month with a twelve-month contract. Wayport also offers an unlimited plan at $49.95 on a month-to-month basis, and pre-paid connection cards.

By amalgamating independent hotspots, Boingo stands out among the wireless Internet access providers. The company is the brainchild of Skye Dayton, the founder of megaISP Earthlink. Boingo offers two plans: Boingo Unlimited, a month-to-month plan at $21.95 (regularly $39.95) and Boingo AsYouGo, a two-day access plan for $7.95. Boingo hotspots can be found in over 700 cities and 3300 locations (their website crows of coverage in 47 states and 18 countries).

It's clear that wireless Internet access is changing the way we communicate at home and on the road. Balancing the line between free and paid wireless access is an important step for the serious road warrior.