Fon Plans to Enter LatAm Markets

Argentine businessman Martín Varsavsky plans to launch his Wi-Fi sharing business, Fon, in Argentina and other Latin American markets, newspaper Infobae reported.

Headquartered in Madrid, Spain, Fon is a network of Wi-Fi connection points that currently has nearly 40,000 users in more than 140 countries.

"We expect to launch operations in Argentina and in other countries in the region directly, without local partners," company founder and CEO Varsavsky said.

According to Varsavsky, the company expects to create a global shared wireless network by reaching 1 million access points worldwide by 2010.

In Argentina, the company expects to import nearly 1,000 hotspots to create a Wi-Fi community in the country.

Fon claims to be the largest Wi-Fi community in the world. Users can opt to share their wireless internet connections for free or for profit.

If you share your broadband access for free use with other foneros, you are called a "Linus." This allows you free access when within the Wi-Fi range of another fonero's router.

The other option is a "Bill." Bills share their Wi-Fi just like Linus' but the difference is they get half of the fees Fon levies for a day's access (currently Fon charges 3 euros (US$3.81) a day for access). However, they do not get free access to anyone else's Wi-Fi.

Global internet communications company Skype and Google are among Fon's main partners.

Varsavsky also has financed educational portal Educ.ar in Argentina, aimed at connecting public schools in the country.

BNAmericas.com"

Posted to the site on 29th September 2006