The £1.25 million investment is part of a pledge to equip the whole network by 2014, the scotsman.com reports.

All 59 of ScotRail’s Class 170 express trains are already in the process of installing the free Wi-Fi service. Young people are increasingly using public transport to save money – Wi-Fi will allow them another option for connecting to the web on their journeys.

Transport Minister, Keith Brown, spoke to bbc.co.uk about the recent proposal: “I am pleased that in advance of the major events taking place in 2014, visitors flying into Prestwick and Glasgow International airports, who then join the rail network, will be able to access Wi-Fi on every train.”

These improvements mean that one third of the ScotRail fleet will be able to deliver internet browsing, along with its most used stations and interchanges. The stations used for the Glasgow Commonwealth Games in 2014 and Ryder Cup in Gleneagles will also feel the benefit of the modifications.

After a representative from ScotRail made the announcement at Paisley Gilmour Street station, Mr. Brown told scotsman.com: “Combined with the station enhancements, this will help keep Scotland’s railways at the forefront of Wi-Fi installation.”

“Wi-Fi is as much an expectation as an attraction. People expect to be able to communicate when they are travelling to work for leisure.”

The technology giant claims it has found a way to use higher frequency millimetre-wave Ka bands, allowing mind-boggling amounts of data to be transferred at ultra fast speeds.

Samsung has said that the technology could be up to 100 times faster than current 4G network speeds, meaning that a FULL HD film could be downloaded in a matter of seconds, reports independent.co.uk.

With the world still adjusting to the fourth-generation of the mobile network, consumers needn’t worry about 5G just yet. Samsung says that it expects to commercialise the technology by 2020.

As 5G is currently undefined, Samsung’s research is simply an interesting piece of the technology puzzle – says Stephen Blum, telecommunications analyst and president of Tellus Venture Associates. “5G is likely to involve much smaller cell sizes including in-home femto cells and distributed small cells outdoors plus Wi-Fi offload,” Blum claims.

There are critics to the findings though. Roger Entner, principal analyst at Recon Analytics, told technewsworld.com: “The reports are so hazy around what Samsung has found that it makes it kind of a non-event.”

Entner added that while near unlimited throughput at high frequencies were mentioned, the two dimensions of power and range were not.

“Physical laws cannot be cheated. When you go up in frequency and modulation, you need to add power to keep the same range,” he explained.

The Premier League club says it will install a connection in the coming weeks which will allow fans to tap into a range of online services via their smartphones and tablets.

By hooking up to the high-density network, fans will be able to stream live video, watch replays of the action they’ve missed and interact with the club as their team gets put through their paces on the field.

The first two options form part of a service called StadiumVision, which comprises a replay channel, an alternative view of the action as well a dynamic data channel for fans to pick apart the performances of their favourite players.

The club says its connection will be capable of delivering a strong connection to “thousands” of fans when the installation is completed in time for the new season.

As reported by thedrum.co.uk, the announcement comes a month after Liverpool FC started rolling out Wi-Fi services at Anfield in order to boost the sharing of digital content during game time.

Tom Glick, chief commercial and operating officer at Manchester City, said he was delighted at being able to offer Wi-Fi to the club’s loyal fanbase.

He added: “With the ground and its immediate vicinity offering ubiquitous connectivity, we will soon be able to provide full talk and texting capabilities, while paving the way for exciting new mobile data applications and services.” 

Fortmilltimes.com reported that by using the updated app, users will have access to Boingo’s 600,000 global hotspots with a single account.

Boingo, which launched in 2001, was the first global Wi-Fi operator and is a strong proponent of next generation hotspots (NGH) and Wi-Fi offload. Bjorn Thorngren, vice president of international markets at Boingo, said at the most recent Mobile World Congress that his company’s goal had always been to make the process of getting people connected as ‘painless and as quick’ as possible.

This most recent move suggests that the company, which has hotspots in hotels, cafés and airports around the world, is firmly pushing for a seamless process.

“Signing up for a Boingo subscription just became as easy as typing in your iTunes password,” said Dawn Callahan, senior vice president of marketing and sales for Boingo Wireless.

“iOS device owners already use their iTunes account to buy apps, music and other products on their phone or tablet; we’re adding that level of simplicity to the process of buying Wi-Fi,” he added.

According to businesswire.com, Boingo’s platform is one of the industry leaders in the monetization of Wi-Fi, which drives revenue through carrier offload, advertising and data based analytics.

Last month, Deutsche Telekom announced that it would partner with FON, with the aim of providing 2.5 million hotspots by 2016.

FON’s global network of hotspots is created by users who have agreed to share a portion of their home broadband, allowing other FON users to use their bandwidth when in the area.

British Telecom in the UK has a similar deal with FON, allowing BT customer to access the FON network.

Deutsche Telekom CEO Rene Obermann, said: “The partnership with FON sits perfectly with Telekom’s network expansion strategy. Wi-Fi and hotspots can be used to divert heavy data traffic to fixed-line networks and thus reduce the load on mobile networks.”

Deutsche Telekom’s Wi-Fi offload strategy is in keeping with many of the big telcos, many of which are rapidly rolling out hybrid networks of macro cells, small cells and Wi-Fi networks.

Businesswire.com reported that Boingo have also struck up a similar deal in the United States. Meanwhile, Britain’s O2 has partnered with BT, who have re-entered the telco race. The partnership could also see O2 expand its Wi-Fi hotspot capabilities.

The high street mainstay recently announced it is to ramp up its customer service profile in a bid to compete with nearest rival Amazon. One of these is provision of free, in-store Wi-Fi that could be used to help browsers make a purchase via their smartphones or tablets, instead of having to queue or manually enter details into the self-service machines.

As part of the wider bid to move away from the old catalogue-based model, any users who order online should have their goods fast-tracked in-store to ensure they’re not left waiting excessive lengths at the collection points.

This departure from the business model which made Argos so popular comes after the retailer reversed plummeting profits to record a six per cent increase over the last twelve months. Set to take three years, the £300 million shake-up could see Wi-Fi provision become just the first in a long-line of changes for the retailer.

Argos’s latest move wasn’t without its critics, however, who claimed that offering Wi-Fi made it even easier for consumers to cross-reference prices against the likes of Amazon, which can often come out cheaper. Despite this, Terry Duddy, chief executive of Argos’s parent company Home Retail, claimed the move was a positive one.

“We’re cool with [price checking],” he told retail-week.com. “There’s going to have to be improved transparency [in retail]. What’s the point of stopping them when they can look before they come into a store. Customers are taking control of technology.”

REDWOOD SHORES, California – iPass Inc. (NASDAQ: IPAS), a leading provider of mobile services for enterprises and telecom service providers, announced today that it has released a whitepaper titled “International Wi-Fi Roaming: Winning Strategies to Construct Wi-Fi/Cellular Data-Roaming Offers for Retail Subscribers.” The whitepaper was co-written by Informa Telecoms & Media and is available at http://www.ipass.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/International-Wi-Fi-Roaming.pdf.

International Wi-Fi roaming extends Wi-Fi access to subscribers when they are traveling outside of their communications service provider (CSP)’s home network. The goal of CSPs when launching an international Wi-Fi roaming service is to acquire access to as broad and meaningful a footprint of Wi-Fi hotspots in as possible, in as many foreign locations as possible, in a simple and easy-to-use manner while ensuring a positive experience for their subscribers.

2012 witnessed an incredible surge of activity in pushing forward both the technical and commercial aspects of international Wi-Fi roaming, and this momentum is expected to increase in 2013. “The importance of Wi-Fi is now beyond question,” said Thomas Wehmeier, principal analyst, Informa. “Operators cannot afford to simply ignore the way that Wi-Fi has risen to become the primary form of data connectivity for the smartphone generation of users, both at home and abroad. As a result, CSPs are seeking to exploit Wi-Fi to underpin their service-differentiation strategies, create new revenue streams and enhance the profitability of their existing service propositions. According to studies conducted by Informa Telecoms & Media in partnership with Mobidia, Wi-Fi is the primary means of data connectivity for a growing user base, accounting for up to 85 percent of total smartphone-originated data traffic.”

“The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) reports that international tourism arrivals exceeded one billion for the first time in 2012, and the volume of international travel is set for another year of robust growth in 2013,” said Steve Livingston, senior vice president of carrier development, iPass. “Since each international trip represents a potential roaming event, the addressable market for international Wi-Fi roaming has never been greater. By partnering with iPass, CSPs can accelerate the market availability of new Wi-Fi services while minimizing their investment.”
International travelers spend a significant amount of money to gain access to Wi-Fi hotspots when abroad. There are a number of reasons for CSPs to adopt Wi-Fi as part of their international roaming strategy, but three stand out above the rest: retain and increase wallet share in the high-value customer segment; monetize the opportunity around Wi-Fi-only devices; and take advantage of Wi-Fi to increase the profitability of cellular data roaming.

For more insight on winning strategies to construct Wi-Fi/Cellular data-roaming offers, please visit here to download the entire white paper.

About iPass OMX ™
iPass Open Mobile Exchange (OMX) is the world’s largest commercial Wi-Fi Roaming and Exchange platform for Communication Service Providers (CSPs). Through a single interface, iPass OMX connects more than 150 unique Wi-Fi networks representing over 1.2 million commercial Wi-Fi venues with certified WISPr interoperability across 123 countries and territories worldwide.

About Informa Telecoms & Media
Informa Telecoms & Media is the leading provider of business intelligence and strategic marketing solutions to global telecoms and media markets. Driven by constant first-hand contact with the industry, our 60 analysts and researchers produce a range of intelligence services including news and analytical products, in-depth market reports and datasets focused on technology, strategy and content.

About iPass Inc.
iPass helps enterprises and telecom service providers ensure their employees and subscribers stay well connected. Founded in 1996, iPass (NASDAQ: IPAS) delivers the world’s largest commercial-grade Wi-Fi network and trusted connectivity platform. With more than 1.2 million Wi-Fi hotspots across 123 countries and territories, iPass gives its customers always-on, frictionless connectivity for smartphones, tablets and laptops anywhere in the world – simply, securely and cost-effectively. Additional information is available at www.iPass.com or on Smarter Connections, the iPass blog.

Online travel firm, Hotels.com, questioned over 8,600 people in 28 countries about the facilities they most commonly wanted to have use of while staying at a hotel. An overwhelming two-thirds picked free Wi-Fi as their number one. In the light of which, it seems crazy that some hotels are not yet offering it as standard.

Some hotels offer internet café-style access in their bars or main public areas, but most guests said that they wanted a ‘no-holds-barred’ access so that they could check their emails or surf the net while in their rooms.

Speaking to nst.com, Ho Hoy Sum, general manager of One World Hotel in Malaysia said that the number one check-in question is no longer about check-out times or when the bar closes, but whether there is free wi-fi.

“Wi-Fi connection has now become very crucial due to the influx of wireless gadgets in the market,” he said. ”So much so, that many who are travelling on business check whether there is a Wi-Fi facility before making that decision to book a room at a particular hotel.

“It is no longer a luxury but a necessity.”

In recognition of this, One World Hotel invested in the Ruckus 7025 Wi-Fi System last year, which allows guest to enjoy strong, stable signals and comprehensive coverage. Mr Hoy Sum says that this differentiates his hotel from the rest.

Of those hotels that don’t provide free wifi, the advice is to leave the premises and find it elsewhere.

The adverts, which will feature in select issues of Forbes Magazine, feature a small router with a rechargeable battery, allowing readers to connect to the web for 15 days.

The promotion is a unique method of promoting their new Office 365 product, which utilises cloud computing technology more than any other Microsoft software. It’s certainly not a cheap marketing ploy, but it is one that shows how web connectivity can be achieved almost anywhere in the current age.

According to theverge.com, the hotspot can provide about three hours of web browsing on a typical smartphone, before the battery needs recharging. The magazine comes with a handy USB cable so it’s easy enough to recharge the router. The free Wi-Fi is being provided by T-Mobile. Up to five devices can connect to the hotspot. at any one time.

In an interview with mashable.com, a Microsoft spokesperson confirmed that there were only a few magazines that had the Wi-Fi capability.

“The custom 4-page insert with Wi-Fi Hotspot capabilities ran in the May 6 2013 issue of Forbes and was sent to a limited number of technology and business professionals,” they said.

Following a pilot in Groningen using 18,000 hotspots, the project will now be expanded nationwide offering a staggering 1 million hotspots.

According to broadbandtvnews.com, the service looks similar to Telnet’s hotspot service, however, it is not browser-based. Once a customer has activated the service on their laptop, tablet or smartphone one time, they will have access to all of the hotspots automatically.

While the service is free to use, customers need to open up their router to be able to access the network. By replacing their customers routers with dual access devices, the modem’s service is split to provide home broadband as well as a public hotspot for customers within range.

“We use an opt out system, you can choose not to take part,” said Pieter Vervoort, vice president of consumer products and innovation at Ziggo.

Vervoot said that only one per cent declined to take part during the pilot and 25 per cent of all customers utilised the service outside of their homes.

Multichannel.com reported that the rollout will be phased with 200,000 hotspots being activated between May and June, a further 350,000 being activated by the end of July and another 100,000 by the end of August.