09 January 2007

The possibility of dual mode cellular/WiFi handsets
being used as VoIP handsets via public hotspots to divert revenue from
cellular networks has been with us for some time, but a deal between
global hotspot operator Boingo and chipmaker Broadcom is about to make
this a much bigger threat.

Boingo and Broadcom have announced a deal under which the Boingo WiFi
client software - normally installed onto a laptop or cellphone to
enable it to access Boingo hotspots - will be embedded in Broadcom's
WiFi phone chipsets, the BCM1161 and BCM4318E. The Boingo client
software "automatically scans for hotspots and instantly connects users
to private and commercial networks, including the tens of thousands of
hotspots that are part of the Boingo Roaming Network."