The new FON router is slightly larger but has one extra ethernet port, but otherwise appears to be identical except the logo has changed on the front, it has a big FON spot on it instead of the nicer FON logo. I’ll be getting it shortly to check it out and let you readers know how it goes.

Now this is one that isn’t generally advocated but I say FON should focus it’s attention on being in various bathrooms of the world…why?

1. Toilets are notoriously bad for good service be it mobile, or other WiFi signals.

2. Particularly for women or men who need to sit to do "their business" often sit there for many minutes, 5,6 or even 10 minutes at a time. If there isn’t anything to read (and often there is) your device + WiFi is perfect, play a game? read your news? RSS? blog about your experience? All can be done if FON is in your toilet.

3. It’s also a fantastic means of escape….FON Toilet, FON in every toilet in the world….

The FONTenna’s are being shipped to the top Fonero’s in Hong Kong, those who use FON a lot receive a free FONTENNA.

I haven’t installed it yet, but will let you know how it goes.

You can download FONSPOT over here, the advantage of using this software is that it turns your Mac and Linux device into an active FONSPOT which will share your WiFi without needing a router.

Reach further with your WiFi is the slogan on the new FON website!

Today we are launching fonero.be together with our partners Scarlet and Tidings. Fonero.be is a new ADSL wireless broadband provider based in Antwerp, Belgium. By combining their innovative WiFi services with the FON Community, Fonero.be customers and Foneros can easily connect to the Internet using WiFi around Belgium. Pricing for this service is 29.95€ per month for 6MB service. Thanks to teaming up with Fonero.be, and Scarlet as the ADSL and voice supplier, the Belgian market will provide a dense network of FONspots that are not only important for Foneros in Belgium but also those who visit Belgium.

FON plans to expand wireless network in German cities

In a company press release, WLAN community operator FON says it plans to give German cities a helping hand in setting up wireless access points (hotspots) for Internet access. In this campaign, the operator will be providing as many as 5000 WLAN routers and signal amplifiers for free to be used by communities in public areas and municipal buildings.

The cities have to compete for the FON City Initiative. FON says that cities will be choosing based on the number and location of public areas and buildings, visitor and tourism statistics, and the willingness of city administration to cooperate. FON spokesperson Florian Forster told heise online that the company is currently looking into whether and how FON users can take part in the selection of cities. At the moment, the form at FON City’s website can only be used to propose cities and communities.

Tags: FON

Free WiFi With Ads Update

In early April FON blogged about an idea they were pursuing; free wifi for viewing ads. They continue to study and improve upon the idea, more changes are likely. Quote:

 I wanted to share our current ideas and get your feedback. For watching a short add someone begging for wifi would receive 15 minutes of free wifi. They could only receive this once, watching another ad would not give them more free time. Hopefully this taste of FON would encourage them to join us so they wouldn’t have to beg for wifi anymore. They can purchase La Fonera and share a little wifi at home so they can roam the world for free!

The Time Warner news was picked up by another blog over at butterboom, they point out that Mid Levels is becoming a very  “hot spot” for WiFi by finding various FON related signals.

Time Warner Cable customers are invited to join the FON movement! The official press release is below. I want to thank the team at Time Warner Cable for all of their support.

MADRID, Spain — April 23, 2007 — FON today announced a partnership with Time Warner Cable which allows Time Warner Cable broadband subscribers to access the world’s largest and fastest-growing WiFi network. The partnership specifically allows Time Warner Cable subscribers to become FON community members and create FON access points via their home or business broadband connection. Furthermore, the same subscribers would enjoy free WiFi access around the world, wherever FON has partner ISPs.

With nearly 60,000 FON community members in the U.S. alone, FON is the largest WiFi network in the United States. Hotspot providers are FON community members (called Foneros) who share their unused bandwidth via a FON router in exchange for free WiFi access when roaming through any other FON access point. Through this partnership, Time Warner Cable subscribers will have the opportunity to be members of the FON community and enjoy free unlimited WiFi access at any of FON’s partner ISP WiFi hotspots.

Time Warner Cable is an American cable television company that currently operates in 33 states, with 13.4 million basic cable subscribers and 6.6 million residential high-speed data subscribers. By partnering with FON, Time Warner Cable subscribers will benefit from being able to use next generation WiFi devices such as WiFi phones, game consoles and MP3 players, both inside and outside the home.

La Fonera router is secure out-of-the-box and offers two distinct WiFi channels. One channel is for the exclusive use of its owner; the second channel is shared with other Foneros. The La Fonera increases security through an encrypted private network and Foneros decide how much bandwidth to share. Public users cannot access the private network and there is no anonymous usage.

“We are pleased to welcome Time Warner Cable subscribers to the global FON community,” said Joanna Rees, CEO of FON U.S. “Success for FON depends on extending Internet access to our user bases outside the home or office without requiring individuals to rely on costly and problematic remote access solutions.”