Public Wi-Fi hotspots to grow 4-fold by 2015: study

The amount of public Internet hotspots (Wi-Fi) globally will grow more than fourfold to 5.8 million by 2015, boosted by consumers increasing demand for connections on smartphones and tablets. Telecom operators see Internet hotspots crucial for offloading wireless data traffic, which is expected to grow 26-fold in the next five years, according to Cisco, as usage of video on mobile devices surges. The study by research firm Informa was commissioned by telecom industry lobby The Wireless Broadband Alliance (WBA). "The findings show we are about to enter the golden age of public Wi-Fi with hotspot deployments set to soar," WBA Chairman Chris Bruce.