Comments on: Free.fr is freer via WiFi

By: vavak

vavak — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 17:07:56 +0000

how do I get to my emails from USA, thank you to answer. I have my paa word

By: Raindeer

Raindeer — Wed, 18 Oct 2006 13:18:19 +0000

With a FON-like, 802.1X service built into every wifi modem, we could have a load of fun world-wide. It doesn’t matter if coverage is spotty sometimes, then you can revert back to other versions. But boy this is how networks should work, with all horizontal layers integrated.

By: freechelmi

freechelmi — Wed, 18 Oct 2006 08:16:33 +0000

Martin said : "Free copied us"

You make me laugh every morning Martin , What free has done has nothing to do with the FON Thing !

Free Is opening a provite SSID on FreeBoxes and FreeUsers authenticate through a certificate ( WPA-Enterprise), this channel is limited to access their SIP gateway.

This is really different than FON who is selling cheap routers to transform your DSL line in a FON Clear-Radius-Auth paying Hotspot …

By: Mayel de Borniol

Mayel de Borniol — Tue, 17 Oct 2006 21:07:11 +0000

Om, I think there is a little mistake : you can only connect to other's Freeboxes to pass VoIP phone calls (they use the open SIP protocol, so you can use your own devices), and not to access the internet.

It still doesn't remove the interest of this service, as Free has exceptional rates (for example: free calls to USA and Canada, even to mobile phones, do you have that in the States ?)

By the way, I had tested Fon with the WRT54G (there were a few usability problems with the firmware), but I now use their Fonera (double SSID), and it works well.

By: Bertil

Bertil — Tue, 17 Oct 2006 18:49:38 +0000

Not surprisingly, Free lauches their own solution, fast, efficient and "free"---while Cegetel tries to leverage a third party, and just after France Telecom (Orange) launched their proprietary, closed and expensive alternative "unik".

Seen that with: - modem-connection, - free (just pay the phone call) modem, - ADSL, TVoIP (the mainstream programs & network), - VoD (like Apple's iTV, except films are 2€ for a 24h rental). . .

Will there ever learn?

By: Mark Cabiling

Mark Cabiling — Tue, 17 Oct 2006 17:52:35 +0000

I'm not convinced about the Fon model either and I still haven't stumbled upon a Fon router when "on the road". I live in Paris and you can almost be sure to be in range of a Wanadoo/Orange or Neuf Telecom or Free access point. Most of them are protected of course but in a majority of cases you can get a connection with an open AP. I suppose we'll have to wait for Neuf to "flash" their routers with the Fon software to see if being a "Linus" is really useful.

And by the way Fon is NOT a mesh network. It's more of a "community hotspot network". If you want an example of a mesh network you have ozone.net for example.

By: Yokimbo

Yokimbo — Tue, 17 Oct 2006 17:46:51 +0000

Gotta say it, Om, this sounds similar to more 2005 Cringely speculation. Only this time he had the wrong country. http://www.pbs.org/cringely/pulpit/pulpit20051124.html

By: SG

SG — Tue, 17 Oct 2006 16:53:12 +0000

Just purchased a Fon unit online. Hopefully will get it sooner than the 3 week prediction that they stated on the website. I am not sure I understand Martin’s value proposition with a cheap (heavily discounted) multi (SSID) device. I would like to ask Martin as to what he envisions the business to evolve into? Is it just create a community free WiFI mesh only? To be honest, what is it for Martin (from business point of view), in it? Why would somebody invest money in this venture? Not trying to be rude, just simple and genuine business question.

Thx

sganguly@yahoo.com

By: Vishal

Vishal — Tue, 17 Oct 2006 13:08:25 +0000

I think this mash up of network as a solution has a huge potential to be successful. There is an initiative in Melbourne, Australia which is going on and is operational.Its becoming popular here day day. THese guys are helping tibetan origin people in northern part of India to get this going as well. Melbourne Wireless

Vishal

By: Pierre

Pierre — Tue, 17 Oct 2006 08:12:10 +0000

“Free copied us”, yeah, right, as much as you copied Ozone here in France too. But it is really a comparison of oranges with apples… Where is FON’s phone anyway? (no pun intended)

By: martin varsavsky

martin varsavsky — Tue, 17 Oct 2006 07:56:51 +0000

Well, Free copied us, yes. But we are deploying with their archrival Neuf, with 1.4 million users. We are porting the Fon software to their boxes and will reflash them as soon as the development is ready and in one week there will be hundreds of thousands of our hotspots. And hopefully FON/Neuf and Free will roam, so France will benefit and finally be freed from the hugely expensive 3G rates with a better service.