Skype can now get access to 500,000 + Wi-Fi hotspot (Mashable)

Skype has announced a new partner program for its Wi-Fi hotspot, Skype Access, at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona on Monday.

Using Skype Access, Skype users can pay for Wi-Fi hotspot using Skype credit on a pay-as-you-go basis (per minute), rather than having to pay day or hour. Skype has introduced this program in January 2009 and the network slowly expanded over time.

At Mobile World Congress, the company announced that it has expanded its partnerships to include more than 500,000 trouble spots. This includes 500 airports, 30,000 hotels and many other locations. In addition, Skype offers free access to Skype throughout Spain through on 18 February.

List of Skype to Skype Access partners include:

BT Openzone-the largest provider of Wi-Fi hotspots in the United Kingdom. FON-this is billed as the "world's largest Wi-Fi network."M3 Connect-provider of Major German Wi-Fi Line 44-a broadband platform in flight that serves many international flights.Skyrove-a hotspot provider in South Africa. Spectrum Interactive-Wi-Fi provider in the United Kingdom with a focus on the travel industry and media.Tomizone-a provider of Wi-Fi in Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific. Vex-a South African Wi-Fi provider. to use Skype Access, users must use the latest version of Skype for Mac or Windows. In addition to its expanding programme Skype Access, Skype also announced its new Mobile Partner program. This program is aimed at mobile operators in areas with lower penetration of broadband 3 G. It is designed to allow mobile telephony operators to provide customers with services and facilities.

The program follows past partnerships that Skype has forged with Verizon, KDDI and Hutchinson 3, but was designed so that smaller operators to roll out their own version.

The program works by using a client/server solution developed for operators of mobile telephony. This solution allows operators to deploy Skype for a wide range of mobile phones--including featurephones and Smartphones.

Skype Access expands to 500,000 + Wi-Fi hotspot

Skype knows that not everyone has access to 3 G or 4 G everywhere, all the time. Consequently, at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, the company announced that it is expanding its service of Wi-Fi hotspot, Skype Access.

In particular, of Skype Access partnerships now include more than 500,000 trouble spots, including 30,000 500 airports, hotels and many other locations. The business VoIP has partnered with eight international suppliers of Wi-Fi, according to Mashable:

BT Openzone's largest Wi-Fi hotspot provider in the United Kingdom this is billed *.FON as the "world's largest Wi-Fi network."M3 connect Major German provider Wi-Fi Row 44 a broadband platform in flight that serves many international flights.Skyrove to hotspot provider in South Africa. Spectrum Interactive Wi-Fi provider in the United Kingdom with a focus on the travel industry and media.Tomizone Wi-Fi provider in Australia, New Zealand and South Pacific z.vex to South African Wi-Fi provider.

The service allows Skype users to pay for access to Wi-Fi hotspot using Skype credit on a minute (prices range from $ 0.05 to $ 0.19). Skype introduced the program in January 2009 and has expanded slowly over time, even if this ad is probably the biggest. Skype Access, you must use the latest version of Skype for Windows or Mac.

Skype brings affordable options for road warriors

February 17, 2011-10: 29

By Bruce Gain, PCWorld

Voice communications and the Internet while traveling are beset by "gotchas" road warriors looking to wade through the minefield of pricing structures for cellular carriers and service providers, Wi-Fi hotspot.

Roaming charges can be ridiculously expensive, especially when traveling abroad, and prices for the Wi-Fi at hotels, airports and other public places around the world are often very high. The fees that I ended up paying ranged from inexpensive (after spending over $ 20 for Wi-Fi access at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport) to the absurd (when Vodaphone pay me hundreds of dollars to use my Blackberry in Ireland to check email and surf the Internet intermittingly for a week).

To make matters worse, the poor customer service that you get when you call a mobile phone provider for details about roaming rates for voice and data communications are far from clear whether Verizon in the United States or Vodaphone in Europe.

A good practice is to turn off your smartphone when travelling abroad and are based on your PC for all communications, including voice connections. You can do with Skype (in France, at least, you must use your PC for Skype because mobile phones against carriers blocking Skype).

After providing cost-effective voice communications for international calls, chat and free voice and video over Internet connections between PCs for years without much hiccups, Skype has formed an agreement with the provider of Wi-Fi so you can pay with Skype credit for Internet access while on the road.

The ad may not mean much if Skype charged gouge prices for Wi-Fi hotspots, but it seems that Skype is attempting to offer an affordable alternative. Skype says prices will start at 6 cents per minute, which is very reasonable, especially in Asia and Europe. Skype has offered the service in beta form through Boingo from 2009, but now should also be able to benefit from prices more reasonable Wi-Fi connection abroad, where connectivity can command some heavy taxes (in particular taking into account the deflated dollar).

Another promising proposal that you will be able to pay for the service to Skype by the minute. This will serve as a welcome alternative to the high prices often ridiculously that commands Wi-Fi hotspots in places such as airports and hotels, where you often have to buy in increments of 30 minutes or an hour. Have a 45 minute wait at the airport of Paris? Then you have to pay for 60 minutes worth of Wi-Fi to stay connected all the time. If you pay for 30 minutes, the service off at short notice when the time has expired. Aggravating is a kind way to describe the experience.

Skype says it will offer its distribution service via Wi-Fi service providers around the world. The provider include BT Openzone, Fon, connect M3, line 44, Skyrove interactive, Tomizone, spectrum and Vex.

All told, Skype says users can access the Internet with the purchase of Skype credit to 500,000 trouble spots, including 500 000 hotels and airports, "many cafes, trains, aircraft, buildings, offices, and Convention Centers." While Skype does not listed the places where its Wi-Fi service is available, it referred to the United Kingdom and Germany in Europe, as well as South Africa and South America--in addition to United States, where Skype says that will bring her service out of beta testing.

It is not clear how ubiquitous it becomes the service Skype, but I look forward to using it is as an alternative cost-effective smartphone and roaming charges for Wi-Fi access when travelling abroad.

Bruce covers technology trends in the United States and Europe and tweets at @ brucegain.

Reprinted with permission PCWorld.com from. Story copyright 2011 PC World Communications. All rights reserved.

MWC 2010: Skype access extended to 500,000 hotspot

Associate Editor

Andrew j. Nusca is an editor for ZDNet and SmartPlanet. As a journalist based in New York City, he has written for Popular Mechanics and men's Vogue and his byline has appeared in New York Magazine, The Huffington Post, New York Daily News, Editor & Publisher, New York Press and many others. He also writes the Editorialiste, a media criticism blog.

He is a graduate of New York University and former editor and columnist of the Washington Square News. He is a graduate of the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. He was named "Howard Kurtz, Jr." by film critic John Lichman despite not having a relationship with him. A native of Philadelphia, he lives in New York with his girlfriend and his cat, Spats.

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