What I would like to see is a move to sell WIFI independently of a provider’s wired services. Couple that with roaming access agreements with other WIFI providers, and ubiquity is further realized.

Couldn’t agree more. Users care about access, not what network or even who’s. But roaming agreements are just the start. Mobile operators need to consider providing consistent access to network services regardless of what wireless network technology is in use as well. Not doing so risks brand erosion for themselves and security risks for their subscribers among others.

All of this can be solved. The standards have been in place and ‘interworking’products on the market for years.

Brett Stewart was the “inventor” of the WiFi hotspot, and inventor on several patents involving things such as location based ad delivery, triangulation of users in a wireless environment, multiple beacon service set identifiers (BSSIDs).

Mr Williams was brought into Wayport by then CEO Dave Vucina to assist winning the original McDonald’s deal versus Cometa and Mobilestar. He was also responsible for the de-emphasis of Wayport as a provider of internet access in the Hotel space.

Mr. Williams got AT&T to sign onto a large deal with BelAir, and quickly jumped ship over to BelAir within weeks of the deal going through.

His benefit to a company (such as Wayport and BelAir) is the depth and breadth of his contacts at AT&T; in essence by bringing him on, BelAir has instant knowledge of the inner workings of AT&T.