November 9, 2004
Internet Calling May Go Wireless
More cellular operators are interested in using cellphones that have Internet calling capabilities, too, via the technology known as Wi-Fi, reports the WSJ.
The US's biggest cellular operator, are both aggressively pursuing phones that use both traditional cellular technology and Wi-Fi to place calls.
Such phones would use Wi-Fi to connect to the Internet when in range of a high-speed connection -- such as in a phone or office -- but then use cellular technology when out on the street.
In July, Motorola Inc. said it would start selling the first phone combining the two technologies.
The calls are appealing to customers because calls within the Wi-Fi "hot spot" may not count against a customer's allotment of wireless minutes. Roughly one-third of all cellular calls are placed in either a home or office in easy range of a Wi-Fi hot spot, according to a survey by the Yankee Group, a technology consulting and research firm.
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