September 10, 2002

Wired's cover story on Sky Dayton

Wired's cover story this month is about Sky Dayton and Boingo. It's got the usual fare about WiFi, how it is going to change the world, and how Dayton is poised to capitalize on it.  At the same time, it points out the challenges:
The trouble with the Hot Spot plan: It assumes that the students, bohemians, and cubicle dwellers who hang at the local Java Hut will shell out $75 a month, or even the $7.95 onetime connect fee. At that price point, Boingo is likely to attract only the wealthiest of m-workers — few of whom spend time discussing Hobbes' Leviathan over cappuccino and a maple-nut scone.
Sputnik is mentioned as a competitor, even though we aren't in that business.  Hey, any press is good press, I guess. Posted by dsifry at September 10, 2002 11:08 AM | TrackBack | View blog reactions
Comments

Boingo's rates aren't as bad as a lot of the Internet cafes I've been too, which charge $5-$10 per HOUR. For $7.95 you can stay connected for up to 24 hours, and you can disconnect and reconnect at a single hotspot within a single 24-hour period without additional charges.

They're blatantly admitting that they're targeting road warriors and not bohemians. The Boingo index contains free community hotspots too, which is pretty surprising in itself.

No, I don't work for them, but I think the plan has a future, especially in airports, hotels, and conference centers. Coffee shops may be a historical aberration.

--73--

--Jeff Duntemann

Posted by: Jeff Duntemann at September 17, 2002 5:02 PM