Toshiba is a relative newcomer in this market but brings an aggressive deployment plan and the broadest range of components, including a hotspot network, access point hardware, flexible offerings for service partners, as well as laptops and PDAs with integrated Wi-Fi capabilities. Toshiba's commitment to this space is evidence of how strategic this market has become for the computer and communications industries. Toshiba's approach is to minimize network deployment costs by providing low-cost access points that integrate the access-control function, to centralize all other functions, and to use low-cost backhaul connections such as DSL.
Toshiba's network is in a rapid stage of buildout, and Toshiba did not state what how large its network would would be by June 1 (as the RFI requested). However, the company indicated an ambitious goal of 10,000 hotspots globally by the end of this year in locations that include coffee shops and hotels.
Pricing depends on the location and is often determined by an entity other than Toshiba, such as the hotel. Costs typically range from $6 to $8 per 24 hour session, $5 to $7 per two hour session and $3 to $5 per one hour session.
Toshiba supports the Wi-Fi Alliance's WISPr effort but so far has made only one roaming agreement, with iPass, public. However, the company says it intends to have roaming agreements with a sufficient number of providers so that a single user account will provide Internet access at any public location. We like to see companies aim high.
Its technology is based on 802.11b and will likely include 802.11a, 802.11g and Bluetooth by the end of 2004, like Boingo and most other participants, though Toshiba was one of the few to specifically mention future Bluetooth support. Toshiba does not provide client software and uses Web-based authentication. It informs users of locations through its Web site, partners' Web sites, the Wi-Fi Zone Web site and various other promotional campaigns.
