Cometa Networks
New York, NY Why It’s Fierce: No other announcement has given more traction to the growth of Wi-Fi hot spots as a business than the creation of Cometa Networks. Cometa was born last year of a partnership of three technology giants –- Intel, IBM, and AT&T –- along with global investment concerns Apax Partners and 3i. The company plans to build a network of hot spots across the U.S., focusing on the top 50 metro areas. It will then sell wholesale access to this network to telecoms, ISPs, cable operators, and wireless carriers, which in turn will resell broadband-wireless access through their own programs. This is a plausible strategy, and with the backing of three major technology companies, Cometa will likely see it through. What to look for in 2003: Cometa Networks says its goal is to cover the U.S. with 20,000 hot spots by the end of 2004. As Cometa begins to build this network, it may acquire an existing hot spot aggregator like Wayport. The company’s biggest competition will come from T-Mobile, which has been building its own nationwide network of hot spots. |
