The number of commercial Wi-Fi hotspots will grow by 47% worldwide to 143,700 this year, according to a new report from ABI Research.
ABI says that Europe is currently the market leader with over 57,000 hotspots. It adds that one major driver of Wi-Fi hot spots is retail establishments, with McDonalds being a prime example, having added hotspots to 17% of its 4,000 locations.
While almost three-quarters (74%) of the worldwide figure of 143,700 are still found in North America and Europe, the Asia Pacific region is growing rapidly.
Stan Schatt, vice president and research director, said: “By 2011 the Asia Pacific region will surpass both Europe and North America in the number of Wi-Fi hotspots.”
According to ABI, the growing Wi-Fi hotspot market is fuelling a demand for Wi-Fi access points. More than 675,000 access points will be shipped this year specifically for use in hotspots.
There has also been an increase in the number of Wi-Fi sessions per subscriber, meaning that subscribers are lingering for longer and spending more time on the internet.
In addition, ABI Research believes that voice over Wi-Fi will become a very attractive choice for many major hotel chains, both for their guests and for their staff.
Schatt added that by 2010 the hospitality industry will offer more than 109,000 Wi-Fi hotspots.
A recent study from TNS revealed that 22% of people said cost puts them off using Wi-Fi technology with regard to 3G mobile phones (see 3G Capability Remains Low Priority For Mobile Users).
Research from Nielsen/NetRatings released in September showed that 15% of online Britons accessed the internet using a W-Fi enabled device (see Digital Consumers Revealed In New Research).
Related Links
