Tuesday, July 12, 2005

Skype, Boingo Team On Wi-Fi

Santa Monica-based Boingo Wireless and voice over IP company Skype said this morning that the two companies will begin providing global Wi-Fi Access for Skype userse. Skype will offer "Skype Zones" powered by Boingo, offering global Wi-Fi access to Skype customers. The deal calls for Skype to have access to Boingo's network of 18,000 Wi-Fi hot spots to make unlimited Skype Internet telephony calls. The companies have priced the service at $7.95 per month and are currently offering the service as a beta. Boingo said that the addition of Skype is expected to increase traffic and revenue at their network of hot spots. Skype provides a very popular, free Internet calling application that allows users to call other PCs for free using peer to peer Internet connections and a headset. Skype also supports instant messaging, a message service, and dial out to analog phone lines for a fee. Boingo is run by Sky Dayton, founder of Earthlink, and offers a network of Wi-Fi access points and software for connecting across its network of providers.