Is a free global Wi-Fi network possible?
WeFi is hoping to do for
Wi-Fi connectivity what Facebook has done for social networking.
WeFi, a software company headquartered in Fairfax, Va., and in Tel Aviv, Israel,
creates
software that can be downloaded for free onto laptops or mobile devices
that the company says will enhance Wi-Fi connectivity and provide mobile devices
with more powerful connection tools.
Once the software is installed, it begins searching for Wi-Fi hot spots in
a user's area and allows them to map all the hot spots in their vicinity through
the Google Maps application.
The eventual goal, WeFi says, is to create a global map of wireless hot spots
that can be used as a reference for members of the WeFi community who want to
find Internet access in new locations. In this Q&A with WeFi CEO Zur Feldman,
we discuss how WeFi works, how it enables Wi-Fi connectivity, and how the company
plans to make money from creating a virtual global Wi-Fi network.
What is WeFi's end goal?
We basically want to provide and create a virtual global network which is free
to allow everyone to get on whenever they choose and to have a service of broadband
through Wi-Fi all over world. We want people to be able to use that platform
to communicate with friends, and to use applications such as voice to connect
with people all over the place without needing to pay any kinds of fees. In
short, the end goal is to create a global virtual network based on Wi-Fi.
And how does WeFi plan on creating that network?
We're providing a technological platform that allows people to take advantage
of hot spots around world. We have mapped close to 300,000 hot spots around
the world, and we're adding more every single day. We also have a platform for
mobile devices that have ability to connect to Wi-Fi, including the iPhone and
the Nokia E65. Our software allows them to use the hot spots as their network.
I want to get a better idea of how this technology works. Essentially, people
download software from your Web site that increases their computers' or wireless
devices' ability to find and connect to Wi-Fi hot spots in the area, correct?
Yes, that's part of it. We also have algorithms written into the software that
automatically connect your device to the best available hot spot. If, for example,
you had a mobile device and you wanted to download an application and there
are several hot spots in your area, you could literally walk from one area to
another and not lose your connection. We have the ability to connect one Wi-Fi
area to the next seamlessly, as long as they have an overlapping range. You
can basically have an experience like a cellular phone experience, because we
check and test the hot spots automatically, and we are able to connect you without
even noticing.
Additionally, every time someone connects to a hot spot and maps it, we get
information from them that gives us all the information about that hot spot
and its connectivity. We'll be able to connect you without all the different
handshakes: it's like you've been connected before even if you've never been
there before. The nice thing about this is that people are actually doing this
work for us by mapping all the hot spots in their area.
How do you get around the fact that so many Wi-Fi hot spots are password
protected?
What we have found is that more than 50% of the hot spots that people are mapping
are wide open. A lot of businesses have open Wi-Fi hot spots in order to entice
customers to spend time there. A lot of times, people are willing to share their
password for devices that are encrypted. More and more, we're seeing more trends
for Wi-Fi networks to open up. We believe it's a social phenomenon where people
can share and enjoy Wi-Fi, and share pictures and videos with each other. Once
people map these areas more and more in their area, the more they'll be able
to take advantage of them.
How do you handle security issues? Does WeFi have a way of making unsecured
Wi-Fi hot spots more secure?
Whenever you use an open Wi-Fi hot spot, it's open. And when you use an open
platform, there's no way to secure it. However, it's also possible for users
to share the security codes with each other for password-protected wireless
networks, so wherever you go you'll have the ability to log into the secure
network with the code you've gotten.
How are you making money with this company?
It's analogous to what Google is doing by providing a search free of charge.
But while the search engine is free, in essence it's a platform that Google
has that allows them to sell advertising, and they can monetize it in many different
ways. We create a platform that people can enjoy and utilize in many different
ways. And because we have data on so many hot spots, we can have very specific
location-based advertising that we can target at different areas. The ads will
generally appear onscreen as banners for handheld devices and laptops, much
as Google ads do.