Sprint and SBC Communications announced a reciprocal Wi-Fi roaming agreement, enabling their respective customers to roam on the Wi-Fi networks of each company using their existing user ID’s and passwords. Service charges will be billed according to the customers’ current billing agreements. The parties expect to complete integration efforts and enable roaming at the respective venues as soon as possible.
This the second major service provider roaming contract signed by Sprint, which earlier reached agreement with AT&T Wireless regarding reciprocal airport property Wi-Fi access. The company has over 2,600 Wi-Fi hot spots where Sprint PCS Wi-Fi Access service is currently available chiefly through roaming agreements in effect across the United States and Canada with a number of industry players, including AT&T Wireless, AirPath, WayPort, STSN and TruckStop.net. Sprint said it is also pursuing other Wi-Fi opportunities, and plans to make at least 10,000 hot spots available to its customers by yearend.
The SBC FreedomLink Wi-Fi network encompasses more than 2,300 hot spots nationwide including airports, hotels, coffee shops and The UPS Store and MailBoxes Etc. locations. SBC said it plans to make more than 20,000 Wi-Fi hot spots available to its FreedomLink customers by the end of 2006. It is also working with Cingular Wireless to use Wi-Fi and Cingular’s wireless network to deliver enhanced coverage. http://www.sprint.comhttp://www.sbc.com
