Working Anywhere

UK Broadband Speeds Getting Faster, USA Also Seeing It Soon

The speeds for broadband connectivity in the UK are going to increase, with both Virgin and BT rolling out two different versions of high speed networks to their existing customer bases.

Virgin, which uses the same approach as USA cable operators like Comcast, is going to kick speeds up from 20 megs to 50, while BT is going to initially offer 40 megs on a fiber (FTTP) platform that could offer 100 megs symmetrically.

The difference is in the upload. The fiber platform offer the same experience for uploads and downloads, where cable modem is faster on the download. The cable technology is based on the Cable Labs standard of Docsis 3.0.

Verizon claims that 100 megs is also likely, but in a bit of back-peddling, seemed to say that we won't be seeing it any time soon. I'd say politics inside Verizon is at play. The technology is there. The only question is around the willingness to deploy it and when.

How To Make Calling Cards Obsolete?

Michael Graves has a post today on how to save money when making calls to or from overseas. He highlights client Junction Networks and their OnSip service which I use quite a bit when I go across the water, as well as some other neat ideas to save your money for something better than a phone call.

Here are some tips I've deployed.

1. In the UK I have a free VoIP User number from VoIPUser.org. It points to my GrandCentral number in the USA. Calls are billed at local call rates, I get to my voice mail and return the call via GrandCentral. I could just as easily do this by pointing the VoIPUser number in the UK to an inbound number PhoneFusion, CallVantage, Vonage, OnSIP or anything else that can be dialed and password authenticated which offers Find Me/Follow Me capabilities.

2. In France I have a paid for Gizmo5 number. That points to GrandCentral. Of course with DIDs and SIP connected pointing a number to any number is really easy. Get a few in countries you travel to regularly and dial in locally, avoid international long distance.

3. Pal Tony Greenberg, one of the smartest guys I know when it comes to disrupting the pricing models in telecom in the 2.0/3.0 era tipped me off to something with the iPhone. It now seems to work without a SIM. That means forget the contract, use the phone as a VoIP phone with Truphone or FRING.

4. Of course there are other ways. Skype To Go and Mobivox offer a two stage calling method, as does RebTel. Truphone's Truphone Anywhere is a call through service that is a seamless way to keep costs down too. These services basically replace the calling card, but with Skype To Go and Mobivox you can reach Skype pals as well as dial out to other number.

5. For those who want less complication in their life, Global Travel roaming services like SIM4Travel and MaxRoam give you local presence numbers, cheap International Long Distance and forwarding of calls so you can leave your number behind and still be reached.

Bottom line, with a bit of imagination and insight, finding ways to save money on calls is not that hard to do...even when you travel.

Virgin America Adds InFlight WiFi

At a press event yesterday Glenn Fleishman, aka Mr. WiFi NetNews, and others got to experience the new in flight WiFi available on Virgin America. Its pretty much the same thing that you're going to find on American Airlines and Delta, with one difference. Virgin and Google are offering video streaming with Google, and they're also less sensitive to porn according to Gizmodo.

CNET's Crave also provides coverage.

I've yet to experience the new flavor of WiFi in the Sky, but hopefully the airlines are more Mac friendly with power outlets. In the past on SAS the MacBook Pro drew too much power, and on Virgin Atlantic the didn't have power leads for the MacBook Air. Virgin America is reported to have in seat power on all their planes.

This is all made possible by GoGo, AirCell's name for in flight Internet connectivity that works using EVDO to the ground.

Telstra Adds Video Conferencing To Enterprise Offerings

Video conferencing is being added by Telstra as part of their enterprise and government offerings, reports IT News.

This makes me think that Telstra has to also be taking a very close look at consumer grade video conferencing services (possibly ooVoo or SightSpeed) to roll out as well.

Hyatt Business Plan Brings Civility To The Road Warrior

Over in London I enjoy staying in the Andaz, a hotel property of Hyatt that was designed by the famed Terrance Conran. It's a converted hospital less than a 100 yards from Liverpool Street Station. At the Andaz I get free coffee, free laundry for essentials, refreshed water, free broadband and a few other perks.

Well it seems parent Hyatt is realizing that in tough business times that they need to upgrade what the give their bread and butter guests, so they are taking a page out of the Andaz's book and launching the Hyatt Business Plan Package which includes many of the same services and features.

Given how Hilton and Marriott are faltering of late, with sub-par service and an inconsistent experience from property to property, I can say that Hyatt, Sofitel (Accor) and Inter-Continental are of the major corporate brands doing more to be consistent with their guests. While I tend to still look for boutique hotels that cater to the business via Tablet Hotels, I do appreciate it when the major brands take a step forward like Hyatt is doing and seek to improve the business travelers experience from check-in to check out.

Boingo Buys OptiFi, More Consolidation of WiFi Networks

Yesterday client Boingo acquired OptiFi, another aggregator/operator of airport hotspots, much like Boingo's Concourse Communications purchase, and their buy of Sprint's airport hotspot division.

The timing couldn't be better as one well regarded wireless analyst firm I follow closely has indicated that the rollout of WiMax won't be as fast as people expected, and I think this will also apply to 4G overall including LTE (long term evolution.) This means WiFi hotspots will be where the mobile set will go for reliable and consistent connection.

Information Week and JK on The Run both provide news coverage as did MuniWireless.

AT&T Buys WayPort-Signals Consolidation in HotSpot Market

AT&T made a very strategic acquisition today, picking up Wayport for a col $275 million. This is a very smart move and shows that AT&T is investing to put more traffic onto its IP network, and also is looking beyond 3G and traditional GSM as the only access routes, beyond DSL and T1.

While AT&T has had their rebranded FreedomLink service that is now called AT&T WiFi, it largely has been sold as a way for the wholesale team to generate revenue. This acquisition changes the game and gives them wider distribution via more access points that Wayport already has, as an added inducement for people to be AT&T Wireless customers or uVerse customers.

What's more this makes the cable guys efforts like what Cablevision is starting to do in the Metro New York area with customer accessible WiFi really important, as the cable operators are ideally positioned with fiber in the ground to put hotspots everywhere.

Who also wins in this deal? Client Boingo. They already have roaming agreements with both Wayport and AT&T. That means non-AT&T customers can use their Boingo credential to get on if their not using uVerse or AT&T Wireless or already subscribing to AT&T WiFi. If I was a Tier Two mobile operator's Biz Dev person (think Metro PCS or Cricket), I'd be working out a deal with Boingo to give customers WiFi access in the Boingo roaming hotspots to keep my customers from jumping away. As a customer retention tactic, WiFi roaming may be one key to keeping the customer.

This is also a hedge against encroachment from XOHM in the Mobile WiMax market. AT&T now can offer WiFi access in more places. XOHM can't say that just yet and not for some time. Lastly, it gives the AT&T Enterprise sales team a huge new offer to make and sell in to their very wide and deep customer base.

Overall, this is a vary Machiavellian move by using territory to establish greater control by AT&T...Well done.

Cablevisions WiFi Is Live In Westchester

Pal Jonathan Greene reported that he's now able to experience Cablevisions' Optimum WiFi in his neck of the woods, Westchester County. While it is not the same on the train like T-Mobile offers in London, the area wide WiFi service serves as a model of what cable companies should be doing to keep their subscribers connected away from the house.

It is the WiFi connectivity that will drive the sale of added services to one's cable bill.

Now Blackberry Users Get Free WiFi Too With AT&T

Yesterday the news was about iPhone users getting free access to AT&T hotspots. Now today, I spotted that CrunchGear has a report about free BlackBerry access too for those with WiFi enabled Berries. That spells BOLD.

Looks like I'm buying my wife a new Bold for the holidays :-)

More Benefits To iPhone Users in USA

AT&T is rolling out more benefits to Apple iPhone users all the time, as the war with T-Mobile and Verizon Wireless gets rolling with new devices (the Google Android G-1 and Blackberry Storm.)

What they are doing is offering all iPhone users free AT&T Hotspot access in their WiFi locations. This means for the most part Starbucks and McDonalds.

It's a tasty offer in my book.