Sprint launches Wi-Fi, T-Mobile does Kinkos

Sprint PCS has launched Wi-Fi access at hot spots operated by Wayport and Airptah Wireless, meeting the first phase of its strategy to sell access in 2100 hot spots by early next year.

The carrier will next offer Wi-Fi access through 250 hot spots being built out in the Seattle market by Cometa Networks. As part of the initial Wi-Fi roll out, Sprint also said it was opening the first Wi-Fi hot spot venue owned and operated by the carrier itself.

The hot spot covers the Mohegan Sun convention, casino and shopping complex in southeastern Connecticut, not far from New York City. The Wi-Fi access there is based on InnerWireless’ in-building wireless distribution systems, and covers about 100,000 square feet.

Meanwhile, in other major carrier Wi-Fi news, T-Mobile has turned on the first of its Kinko’s hot spots in Dallas, and aims to have Wi-Fi access at 170 Kinko’s outlets by the end of October. The first phase of the roll out includes Kinko’s locations in North Texas, Northern and Central California, New Jersey and New York. By the beginning of next year, there will be several hundred more in branches located Los Angeles, Chicago, and Washington, DC. By April 2004, more than 1100 Kinko’s stores across the country will have Wi-Fi.

T-Mobile so far has 2800 public venues where it offers the T-Mobile Hotspot Wi-Fi service. Joe Sims, vice president and general manager of T-Mobile HotSpot, said the carrier will continue to roll out in venues frequented by business users, since its internal research has shown that 88% of the usage at its hot spot is for business purposes.