British telephone company British Telecommunications said Wednesday that it plans to launch the nation's first commercial Wi-Fi network in June, despite a ban on such businesses in the United Kingdom.
The carrier is trying to follow the lead of U.S. carriers that have already added wireless Internet access into their mix of offerings. These wireless networks can download Web pages at speeds much quicker than a digital subscriber line (DSL). But their drawbacks include a range of less than 300 feet and notoriously porous security. Despite that, Wi-Fi networks have grown in popularity, finding a place in millions of businesses and homes worldwide.
VoiceStream Wireless sells Internet access based on Wi-Fi, otherwise known as 802.11b, at about 600 Starbucks throughout the United States. Nextel Communications said it intends to add Wi-Fi to its stable of offerings, and Sprint is an investor in Boingo, a commercial Wi-Fi service.
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