Announcements
Restaurants and Cafes Represent Fastest Growing Segment of Wi-Fi Hotspots
Recent numbers from JiWire show that food and beverage establishments offer the most public Wi-Fi access, followed by hotels and retail stores.
San Francisco, Calif. – February 23, 2006 -Restaurants and cafes represent the fastest growing segment of Wi-Fi hotspots, according to recent data released by JiWire, the leading provider of public Wi-Fi hotspot information and services (www.jiwire.com). 34,544 restaurants and cafes currently offer Wi-Fi access, representing an increase of 18,267 hotspots from a year ago.
Hotspot growth per location type:
| January 2005 | January 2006 | Hotspot Growth | |
| Restaurants & Cafes | 16,277 | 34,544 | 18,276 |
| Hotels & Resorts | 16,417 | 26,861 | 10,444 |
| Stores/Shopping Malls | 5,421 | 13,985 | 8,564 |
"As Wi-Fi becomes more integrated into consumer electronics products such as digital cameras, VoIP phones and gaming devices, people have come to expect an Internet connection at all times," says Kevin McKenzie, CEO of JiWire. "Restaurants and cafes have found that by offering Wi-Fi access, they are able to provide a valuable amenity to their customers and often gain a competitive advantage over other venues that don't."
Tokyo has the most restaurants and cafes with Wi-Fi access (1,037), followed by London (578) and Singapore (410). Within the United States, New York City has the most restaurants and cafes with Wi-Fi access (328), followed by San Francisco (319) and Chicago (271). For more information about which food and beverage establishments offer Wi-Fi access, go to http://www.jiwire.com/search-hotspot-locations.htm and search a specific address or geographic area by "Location Type."
About JiWire
Founded in 2003, JiWire provides information and services to help mobile professionals and computer enthusiasts find and connect to the wireless Internet. Through relationships with 400 Wireless Internet Service Providers (WISPs) and thousands of independent venues, JiWire offers the most comprehensive and up-to-date guide to verified public hotspot locations around the world as well as unbiased how-to guides, product reviews, and industry news. This critical information, combined with services to manage and securely connect to any wireless network, offer users everything they need to safely and easily connect without wires -- anywhere. Customers include AvantGo, CNET Networks, Forbes.com, iPass, PC World, and USATODAY.com, among others. JiWire.com was named one of the "50 Coolest Websites" by Time Magazine and is a recipient of a 2005 Mobility Award presented by MobileTrax. With over one million people using JiWire's services, the company has created one of the world's largest WiFi communities. To learn more, please visit www.jiwire.com.
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