Here’s GigaOm on DLink’s newest WiFi phone. This particular phone does not run on cell networks, but hybrid Wi-Fi/wireless network phones currently exist (and have for a couple years) and will be in market eventually. US mobile carriers have historically been less than enthusiastic about their entry, seeing them as a threat to minutes and data revenues, but that attitude may be changing.
Research firm In-Stat predicts more than 130 million of these hybrid cell-WiFi phones will be in use by 2010 (probably very aggressive).
October 24, 2006 at 10:17 am |
[...] The development of mobile handsets that tap into WiFi networks has been happening for some time. There are a number of handset makers now rolling them out. US carriers were historically (and mostly still are) opposed to these phones because they don’t use cell minutes or data services while on the WiFi networks, unless you also own those networks and can charge for their use. [...]