Study highlights big rise in hotspot use

Sales of Wi-Fi-enabled devices are fuelling hotspot use

The number of Wi-Fi hotspot users has increased by almost 50 per cent over the past 12 months to 1.2 billion, according to new research by In-Stat marketing released today.

The firm said that after a period of little growth, the hotspot market is experiencing a resurgence, with usage increasing among both business users and consumers.

“A market that appeared to be languishing due to revenue shortcomings has found a renewed life force,” said In-Stat analyst Frank Dickson. “Mobile operators have become increasingly involved in the hotspot market globally as they assess the potential of hotspots to offload wireless data traffic from overburdened 3G networks."

He added that the mass-market adoption of Wi-Fi-enabled devices, such as smartphones, had also played a role in the growth. "These devices [account] for the majority of access sessions in some locations,” he said.

According to In-Stat, the number of hotspots around the world will reach 245,000 by the end of the year.

Meanwhile, concerns about hotspot security are growing. A recent investigation by the TV programme Watchdog found that in a number of locations user accounts were vulnerable to hacking.