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IKANO News:
Title: Free Wi-Fi access at Sundance Film Festival
Date: January 20, 2003
URL: m-travel.com
PARK CITY, Utah — The much talked about independent film Levity opened the Sundance Film Festival this week. There was another debut that serves as a strong indicator of how fast and how far wireless Internet access is growing. HotSpotzz, one of the largest providers of wireless hot spots, is making its Park City debut by offering Sundance Film Festival goers, stars and staff free Wi-Fi Internet access.
"We want to give Sundance attendees the opportunity to stay connected during the festival," said Henry Smith, HotSpotzz CEO. "Many people are taking time off work to attend the festival. HotSpotzz provides film goers a chance to transition from the big screen to the laptop screen with ease."
Web surfers along Main Street, Prospector Square and Kimball Junction can now log on free to a wireless Wi-Fi network set up by HotSpotzz during the festival, which opened last Thursday and runs through next Sunday, January 26.
At the festival, there is information available wireless for Levity and and most other films at the festival. Levity stars Billy Bob Thornton and is the directorial debut by Ed Solomon, a longtime writer and producer. Others in the film are Morgan Freeman, Holly Hunter and Kirsten Dunst.
Hot spots are Internet access points that utilize wireless technology known as 802.11 or Wi-Fi and are becoming popular in public places such as coffee shops, airports, hotels and coffee shops. Smith explained that "hot zones" are placed in large public areas such as parks and city blocks. Wi-Fi sends Internet signals through the air using radio waves. To make it work, a user needs a transmitting antenna, which is linked to any type of broadband connection (DSL, cable modem, fixed wireless, T-1). A second antenna, usually part of a laptop, receives the signal.
To access the HotSpotzz hot zones for free, a user needs a wireless enabled laptop. A few minor settings need to be changed (configure network settings to enable DHCP to obtain IP addresses dynamically) and the network can be located by selecting "hotspotzz." Windows XP and MacOS X will automatically identify the HotSpotzz network. HotSpotzz representatives will be on hand during peak hours of the festival handing out flyers and other free items.
HotSpotzz owns 110 wireless-enabled locations in national and regional retail chains, hotels, business centers, and independent cafes and restaurants. HotSpotzz locations include the San Francisco Bay Area, Utah, Los Angeles/Orange County, San Diego, Chicago, Seattle, and Boston. Utah locations now include the Coffee Garden and Wasatch Broiler. These hot spots comprise a significant percentage of the U.S. public wireless Wi-Fi hot spots in the United States.
Retail subscribers can purchase scratch cards in 1-hour, 4-hour or 24-hour increments, use the "pay-as-you-go" option on the Web site or purchase a monthly subscription. Costs range from $2.95 for 1-hour to $19.95 for a monthly subscription.
HotSpotzz differentiates itself from other hot spot providers by offering the industry's only converged access platform that enables customers to use a single account for HotSpotzz dial-up or wireless service. HotSpotzz is owned by Ikano, a large provider of private-label Internet services.
Wi-Fi, or 802.11, is considered to be among the most promising new technologies for 2003. By 2006, there are expected to be 89,000 public Wi-Fi network access points and more than 99 million Wi-Fi users worldwide, according to Gartner Group.
HotSpotzz's "eCoinBox" technology provides access control, accounting and auditing functions for the HotSpotzz network and for affiliate networks. In addition, eCoinBox drives all back-end infrastructure for authentication, roaming and settlement services.
Last year, Ikano purchased the WiFi Metro network from hereUare Communications, a leading global provider of enabling technology of for-pay, public network access, aggregation and billing services. This substantial enhancement to Ikano's product line will enable the company to expand its product offering for existing clients and channel partners.
In-Stat/MDR reported last year that the "recent migration" of 802.11 as an operating standard into the license-exempt fixed wireless broadband market in the U.S. will result in a much needed growth spurt for the broadband fixed wireless market. Residential subscriptions to fixed wireless broadband in the U.S. will grow from approximately 338K in the end of 2001 to 3.1 million by the end of 2006. Over this time period, licensed-exempt services will have the greatest growth with residential subscribers growing from 123K in 2001 to almost 2.5 million by 2006.
Founded by Robert Redford in 1981, Sundance Institute is dedicated to the development of artists of independent vision and the exhibition of their new work. Since its inception, the Institute has grown into an internationally recognized resource for filmmakers and other artists. Sundance Institute conducts national and international labs for filmmakers, screenwriters, composers, writers, and theater artists.
The annual Sundance Film Festival, a major program of Sundance Institute, is held each January and is considered the premier showcase for American and international independent film. The Institute supports non-fiction filmmakers through the Documentary Film Program by providing year-round support through the Sundance Documentary Fund and a series of programs, which nurture their growth, encourage the exploration of innovative nonfiction storytelling, and promote the exhibition of documentary films to a broader audience.
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