Wi-Fi hotspots will become obsolete says Ericsson's Bergendahl

Wi-Fi hotspots are doomed to go the way of the street phonebox according to Ericsson's chief marketing officer Johan Bergendahl. Despite the increased development in public Wi-Fi hotspots, Bergendahl said that mobile broadband was growing faster than mobile or fixed phone lines ever did. As such, there would be no need for hotspots in places such as high street cafes: "In Austria they are saying that mobile broadband will pass fixed broadband this year. It's already growing faster, and in Sweden, the most popular phone is a USB modem," said Bergendahl at the European Computer Audit, Control and Security Conference in Stockholm. Bergendahl predicted that HSPA will be as common as Wi-Fi is today, but factors such as coverage, availability and roaming will be essential to its success: "Industry will have to solve the international roaming issue," said Bergendahl. "Carriers need to work together. It can be as simple as paying €10 (£7.60) per day when you are abroad." Conspiracy also made up part of Bergendahl's speech, with him expressing suspicion that hotels around the world were stopping radio signals to hinder customer's mobile broadband. Source: Techworld.com