iPass Hotspot Network Expands To 13m Hotspots And Samsung Gear S

iPass has expanded its worldwide network of Wi-Fi hotspots to 13 million, and has revealed its service will be compatible with the Samsung Gear S smartwatch – the first wearable device to be supported.

The company does not own any hotspots itself and instead agrees partnerships with various providers to offer businesses a single log-in and billing service that promises to make it easier and cheaper to use wireless Internet services around the world.

iPass hotspot

Its network comprised just 2.7 million hotspots as recently in June, with the rapid growth attributed to further deployments by its 180 network partners, the increased availability of home hubs and community hotspots, and the emergence of new monetisation platforms based on advertising and location services.

iPass CEO Evan Kaplan says tablet and smartphone users log in twice as many times as those using laptops, providing further evidence that Wi-Fi will continue to prove a credible rival to roaming – even when additional charges within the European Union are eventually scrapped.

“The pace of Wi-Fi hotspot proliferation is not abating and a roamable, global alternative network of 100 million hotspots will become a reality in the foreseeable future,” he says.

Earlier this year, Kaplan told TechWeekEurope that mobile data is no substitute for Wi-Fi and detailed the company’s new Business Traveller 2.0 service, which automates the log-in process, tells users which hotspots are best for certain activities and can download locations for offline use.

To use iPass with the Samsung Gear S users must download an app onto their compatible smartphone with rich notifications sent to the wearable device to help users connect to a hotspot.

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