Verizon's move comes amid increasing interest in Wi-Fi wireless networks, which let a growing range of different devices connect to one another without a wire being strung between them. In-Stat/MDR researchers have predicted that by 2005, there will be more than 55 million Wi-Fi networking hubs in U.S. homes and offices. Most of the nation's current crop--estimated to number eight million--are in homes, typically to provide a mobile connection for laptop computers. Telephone companies in the United States began advancing into Wi-Fi last year, hoping to cash in on the projected riches. The result has been a two-front battle for Wi-Fi spending.

On one front, companies are fighting to attract those tech-savvy travelers or café denizens who want broadband access anywhere, For example, T-Mobile subscribers can get unlimited access inside hundreds of Starbucks for $30 a month, Sprint PCS is exploring a similar service, However, Verizon and Nextel have crossing the street on a rainy day - blue iphone case a more selective focus: their existing business customers, Businesses are providing the first profits for landline and cellular carriers venturing into wireless networks, not consumers buying access inside Starbucks, said Gemma Paolo, a wireless analyst with Cahners In-Stat..

"Nobody has found a viable model for selling broadband inside cafés yet," Paolo said. For now, Verizon is selling its new Wi-Fi devices only to customers in the Boston area--a way to test the corporate market before launching a more extended U.S. offensive against Nextel. With its new line of wireless networking devices, the telecommunications company joins Nextel in betting Wi-Fi gold lies with businesses, not the masses. The Bedminster, N.J.-based telecommunications company announced this week that it has begun selling Wi-Fi wireless networking devices from manufacturer Proxim, with small and midsized businesses the target for sales. Wi-Fi, also known as 802.11b, is a technology that enables the creation of wireless networks with a radius of around 300 feet.

CNET también está disponible en español, Don't show this again, The PC maker is looking to get a jump start in the market for notebooks that can work with more than one wireless network, November 17, crossing the street on a rainy day - blue iphone case 2002, previous coverageWireless "hot spot" provider Boingo Wireless unveils software meant to make it easier for people with handheld devices to use Wi-Fi wireless networks, November 14, 2002, Wireless networking--particularly Wi-Fi--and the home and office devices that take advantage of these connections will be a dominant theme at Comdex Fall 2002, November 14, 2002..

roundup Wi-Fi backers seek a role in broadband Web access. On tap: an avalanche of 802.11g devices and a Toshiba notebook with dual-band Wi-Fi. Souped-up Wi-Fi networks edge their way into the discussion on how to spread broadband Web access to remote places, an issue that focused on cable modems and DSLs.November 21, 2002. The first of what may become an avalanche of products based on the 802.11g wireless standard hits the market next month as Linksys unveils its "Instant Wireless-G" gear.November 19, 2002.