Tuesday, March 30, 2004
HotSpot Skirmish Round One: SBC vs. T-Mobile
Posted by Pat Logsdon in "NEWS" @ 12:07 PM
SBC has not only thrown down the proverbial gauntlet - they've smacked T-Mobile around the head and shoulders with it. 8O
"SBC Communications announced Tuesday that it will offer Wi-Fi service in thousands of UPS Store locations in the United States. The FreedomLink service will be available in more than 1,500 UPS locations by the end of the year, SBC said. These locations will include Mail Boxes Etc. stores, which also are owned by the United Parcel Service of America, and additional installations will continue through 2005. Currently, there are approximately 3,300 UPS Store locations, and the U.S. network is projected to reach 5,000 by 2007.
A pilot program is currently under way in Europe, where the service could be extended to more than 1,100 Mail Boxes Etc. stores internationally."
SBC is providing their service at a lower price than T-Mobile: $19.95 per month for unlimited access, and $7.95 for a day pass. T-Mobile charges $29.99 for unlimited local access, and $9.99 for a day pass.
Personally, I think this is great news - more competition means lower prices. How about you? Can you see yourself using Wi-Fi at a UPS Store or Mailboxes Etc., or are you more likely to use it at a book store or coffee shop?
