Cisco Joins Global Patent Pool to Boost Next-Gen Wi-Fi 6 Technology

Cisco Systems, Inc. has officially joined the Sisvel Wi-Fi 6 patent pool programme, marking a significant milestone in the licensing landscape for next-generation wireless technologies.

The Sisvel Wi-Fi 6 patent pool is a global program that makes it easier for companies to legally use key technologies behind faster, smarter Wi-Fi 6. Instead of negotiating with dozens of patent owners, companies like Cisco can get access to nearly 2,000 essential patents through one simple license. Managed by Sisvel, the program helps avoid legal hassles, speeds up innovation, and ensures fair use of the tech that powers modern wireless devices—from smartphones to enterprise routers.

Key Highlights of the Deal

• Scope of Access: Cisco gains one-stop access to nearly 2,000 patents (organized into 245 patent families) deemed essential to the 802.11ax Wi-Fi 6 standard.
• Patent Evaluation: These patents have undergone independent essentiality evaluations, ensuring their relevance to the Wi-Fi 6 specification.
• Strategic Importance: Cisco, a global leader in enterprise networking and AI-driven connectivity, strengthens its position in the Wi-Fi 6 ecosystem, especially in enterprise-grade access points.

Broader Context

Sisvel’s Wi-Fi 6 Pool: Launched in July 2022, the pool has seen a surge in adoption, with 20+ new licensees joining since Q4 2023.

Patent Contributors: The pool includes patents from multiple key innovators in Wi-Fi 6 technology. You can view the full list of contributors on Sisvel’s official site.

Industry Validation: Sisvel’s Head of Licensing, Nick Webb, called Cisco’s entry a “major validation” of the pool’s transparent and efficient licensing model.

This move not only simplifies Cisco’s access to critical IP but also signals growing industry alignment around collaborative licensing frameworks for emerging standards. Want to explore how this impacts Wi-Fi 7 or enterprise deployments next?

Firefly Networks, A Wi-Fi JV of Airtel & Vodafone Idea (Vi) Sold to iBus Network and Infrastructure

Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea (Vi) have sold their entire stakes in their joint venture, Firefly Networks, to iBus Network and Infrastructure for ₹9 crore.

Key Points:

Stake Sale: Both Airtel and Vodafone Idea sold their 50% stakes in Firefly Networks for ₹4.5 crore each.

Firefly Networks: Firefly Networks was a joint venture between Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea (Vi), established in 2014 to provide high-speed Wi-Fi infrastructure across India. The JV was setup to counter Reliance Jio. It aimed provide high-speed Wi-Fi infrastructure in urban centers, targeting locations like malls, hospitals, and educational institutions.

Projects: Firefly Networks worked on high-profile projects, including deploying Wi-Fi services in New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) areas.

iBus Network: The buyer, iBus Network and Infrastructure, specializes in delivering in-building solutions and last-mile connectivity. They act as a neutral infrastructure provider for telecom operators.

Deal Closure: The deal is expected to close within 30 business days from the date of execution of the agreement.

Financial Impact:

Airtel's Disclosure: Firefly contributed 0.0065% to Airtel’s turnover and 0.0007% to its net worth in FY24.

Vodafone Idea's Disclosure: Firefly added ₹5.5 crore to Vodafone Idea’s losses during the same period.

This transaction marks the end of a joint venture that began with ambitions to challenge other major players like Reliance Jio in the domestic Wi-Fi market.

Qualcomm Unveils Breakthrough in Wi-Fi Tech and New AI-Ready IoT and Industrial Platforms

At the Embedded World 2024 exhibition and conference in Nuremberg, Qualcomm made significant announcements related to IoT and Wi-Fi Technology.

The company unveils the Qualcomm® QCC730, a disruptive micro-power Wi-Fi system for IoT connectivity. This technological breakthrough provides up to 88% lower power than previous generations and can revolutionize products in battery powered industrial, commercial and consumer applications.

Qualcomm also introduced the new Qualcomm RB3 Gen 2 Platform — a comprehensive hardware and software solution designed for IoT and embedded applications. Utilizing the Qualcomm® QCS6490 processor, the RB3 Gen 2 offers a combination of high-performance processing, 10x increase in on-device AI processing, support for quadruple 8MP+ camera sensors, computer vision, and integrated Wi-Fi 6E.

The two technologies unveiled are —

1. Breakthrough Wi-Fi Technology

The Qualcomm QCC730 is a groundbreaking micro-power Wi-Fi system tailored for IoT connectivity. Here are its key features:

Unprecedented Low Power Consumption for Extended Battery Life

• The QCC730 delivers up to 88% lower power consumption compared to previous generations, potentially revolutionizing battery-powered industrial, commercial, and consumer applications. 
• Its selectable power modes and innovative power management maximize savings for extremely long battery life.

Flexibility to Operate in Hostless or Hosted Mode

• Developers can choose between hostless or hosted mode, providing extreme flexibility for different use cases.
• It supports internal or external power amplifiers and has integrated, non-volatile memory (RRAM) for ease of design.

Versatile System Integration for Ease of Design

• QCC730 fully integrates the on-chip microcontroller, non-volatile memory (NVM), and SRAM, making it versatile and easy to design with.
• Developers can replace or integrate it with traditionally Bluetooth-only applications.

Complete Cloud Connectivity Stack with Open-Source Software SDK:

QCC730 comes with an open-source software SDK available on CodeLinaro, allowing cloud connectivity offloading.

It empowers developers with an alternative to traditionally Bluetooth-only applications and enables direct cloud connectivity.

In summary, the Qualcomm QCC730 offers ultra-low micro-power Wi-Fi, scalability, and versatility for IoT applications, making it a powerful choice for connected devices.

2. AI Ready IoT & Industrial Platform

The Qualcomm RB3 Gen 2 Platform is designed to empower developers in creating a broad range of IoT products across various segments, including consumer, enterprise, industrial robotics, and automation.

High-Performance Processing

• The RB3 Gen 2 Platform is powered by the Qualcomm QCS6490 processor, offering advanced performance capabilities.
• It combines powerful AI processing, computer vision, and blazing-fast wireless connectivity.

On-Device AI Capabilities

• Developers can leverage the platform's AI acceleration for tasks such as image and video capture, enhancing overall functionality.
• This opens up possibilities for applications in workplace security, automation, and more.

Support for Multiple Camera Sensors

• The platform supports multiple 8MP+ camera sensors, enabling robust computer vision capabilities.
• This feature is essential for applications in robotics, industrial automation, and other visual tasks.

Integrated Wi-Fi 6E

• With built-in Wi-Fi 6E, the RB3 Gen 2 Platform ensures high-speed wireless connectivity.
• This connectivity is crucial for seamless communication in IoT devices.

Bluetooth 5.2 and LE Audio

• Enhanced Bluetooth 5.2 support allows for wireless accessories and efficient communication.
• LE Audio ensures improved audio quality for connected devices.

Expandability and Versatility

• The platform offers expandability through interfaces such as GPIOs, I2C, SPI, UART, PCIe, USB, MIPI CSI/DSI, and SDIO.
• Developers can easily integrate additional components and customize their solutions.

In summary, the Qualcomm RB3 Gen 2 Platform provides a powerful foundation for creating innovative IoT products, combining performance, AI capabilities, and connectivity. 

Nokia, Vodafone Conduct World’s 1st Trial of A New Tech That Greatly Enhances Internet Experiences

Nokia and Vodafone conduct world’s first trial of L4S technology over an end-to-end PON network

Nokia and Vodafone have announced, on Tuesday, that the two companies have conducted the world's first trial of L4S technology over an end-to-end Passive Optical Network (PON), demonstrating its potential to enhance the internet experience for activities like video conferencing and gaming.

L4S is ideal for latency-dependent applications such as cloud gaming, virtual/ augmented reality (VR/AR), and high-quality video conferencing. It helps in managing network congestion, reducing jitter, and preventing packet loss.

What is L4S?

L4S, which stands for "Low Latency, Low Loss, Scalable throughput," is a technology that aims to significantly improve internet traffic management. This new technology ix developed and pioneered by Nokia Bell Labs and is now an Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) standard.

This technology represents a significant step forward in creating a smoother and more reliable online experience for users, especially as we move towards more real-time and interactive applications on the internet.

The Lab Test

Nokia’s research arm Nokia Bell Labs and Vodafone’s Fixed Access Center of Excellence (CoE) performed this world’s first demonstration of L4S running over PON in Vodafone’s lab in Newbury, U.K.

The demonstration was performed on an end-to-end fixed access network built with Nokia technology. It consisted of a broadband network gateway (BNG), a PON optical line terminal (OLT), multiple PON optical network terminals (ONTs) and WiFi access points. The tests showed extremely low and consistent end-to-end latencies when travelling across every element of the network.

L4S achieves almost zero packet queuing delay, which is a common cause of latency on the internet. This is particularly beneficial when the network is under heavy load.

In tests, L4S showed extremely low and consistent end-to-end latencies across various network elements, including fully congested access networks and WiFi links.

In the lab tests, Vodafone and Nokia Bell Labs measured consistent latencies of 1.05ms at local Ethernet ports running over a fully congested access network (BNG to ONT), and just 12.1ms when including a fully congested WiFi link as the final connection.

Latency can affect the quality and speed of online activities, such as browsing, streaming, gaming, or video calling. Low latency means less delay and a smoother internet experience. For example, low latency ensures that video calls are synced and that your connection has minimal delay. Online gamers typically covet low lag or latency because delays cause losses. Low latency also reduces buffering and allows for better video quality.

While the tests were conducted on PON networks, L4S can be implemented over any access technology, whether wireless or wireline.

Nokia is also working on an another research initiative called UNEXT. L4S is a prime example of the network-application symbiosis that is a key component of UNEXT.

UNEXT is a research initiative from Nokia Bell Labs that aims to redefine network software and systems by evolving the network into an operating system. UNEXT is self-regulating and interactive, and includes Natural-Language Networking, which allows for voice-based network capabilities. Nokia believes that UNEXT will pave the way for the 6G era and enable smooth support for users and applications.

3i Infotech Unveils NuRe Bharat Network for Free WiFi Monetizing Project Awarded by RailTel

• NuRe Bharat Network will be launching an advertising platform targeting passengers of the Indian Railways
• NuRe Bharat Network is a 3i Infotech-led consortium with FISST and Yellow Inc. that has signed India’s first multi-year commercial agreement to monetize captive customers of free public WiFi network powered by RailTel, in 6,108 + railway stations
• Free captive WiFi network is one of its kind which connects every region of urban India and semi-urban & rural Bharat
• Every day over 1.8 million users connect to the free WiFi captive portal

3i Infotech Limited (BSE: 532628, NSE: 3IINFOTECH), a global Information Technology company unveiled the consortium entity NuRe Bharat Network, in a partnership with RailTel Corporation of India’s WiFi monetization project as the lead consortium partner. The other members of the consortium are Forensics Intelligence Surveillance and Security Technologies Private Limited (FISST) and Yellow Integrated Content & Communication LLP (Yellow Inc).

 

NuRe Bharat Network aims to connect all urban, semi-urban, and rural regions, further connecting India and Bharat to the digital medium by offering free captive WiFi solutions across the Indian Railway network. NuRe Bharat Network will completely change the dynamics of reaching through to the world’s second-largest digital consumer in a simplified manner.

The launch comes at the back of a recent announcement made by the company for bagging a 5-year WiFi monetization deal from RailTel, with Rs 1000 crore revenue potential. At the virtual launch, 3i Infotech also revealed the interface and functioning of the captive portal and mobile app that will help the advertisers leverage their services to connect with the 1.8 million users per day across 6,108+ railway networks in the country by providing free WiFi service to the users.

Speaking on the momentous occasion, Mr Sax Krishna, Head of NuRe Bharat Network said, “We are excited to be a part of such an impactful partnership with RailTel as it gives us a platform to service India & Bharat through the means of providing socially applicable and commercially viable products and services. The captive portal and application will open the space for advertisers to connect with the growing India, primarily rural Bharat demographics, thereby utilizing a huge untapped opportunity.”

“The partnership model will also be a major proof point for us to exhibit and demonstrate our capabilities across the Edge ecosystem including Edge Space, Computing and Analytics through the combination and convergence of edge with the WiFi network, we will be able to deploy our fundamental design with the engines of growth in a much better way that we have put together in the form of a company,” he further added.

At the launch of NuRe Bharat Network, Mr Manoj Tandon, Director of Project, Operations and Maintenance, RailTel Corporation of India Limited (RCIL) shared his happiness and wished all success to the new Joint Venture formed for the WiFi monetisation project.

Ramu Bodathula, Head of Technology, NuRe Bharat Network presented the technology stack walk-through of the application and expressed, “We want to go beyond the captive portal and hence, we will soon be launching the mobile app, which will provide beyond `Free Internet’. It will also allow the advertisers to provide travel, infotainment, education, and e-commerce-based services.”

The WiFi captive portal will allow a user to access free WiFi for the first thirty minutes at railway stations across India, after which, the user may or may not extend the free service by watching advertisements. Then, the portal will switch to the paid medium. To access free WiFi, users need to connect to the WiFi network and provide login credentials. This platform will be available in multiple Indian languages apart from English.

The platform will unlock opportunities for advertisers to reach out to the digital consumer via smart advertising solutions and data insights. Thus, the NuRe Bharat Network will be a pivotal contributor in the digital and e-commerce sector, poised to cross US$350 billion by 2030 and become a key advertising platform for larger national brands, upcoming MSMEs and local businesses.

About 3i Infotech

Headquartered in Mumbai, India, since its inception in 1993, 3i Infotech has been committed to driving business value across multiple industry verticals. 3i Infotech has emerged as a leading name in propelling the current wave of digital transformation initiatives, with deep domain expertise across BFSI, Healthcare, Manufacturing, Education, Telecom, Media & Entertainment, Retail and Government sectors. The company has over 5600 employees in 30 offices, 15 countries, and 4 continents. With a digital and cloud-first approach, and a range of IT services and solutions encompassing 5G in Edge Computing, Cognitive AI/ML, Data Science and Analytics and Blockchain, 3i Infotech have successfully transformed business operations of 1,200+ customers across 50 countries. The company has a very strong foothold and client base in geographies like North America, India, Asia Pacific, the Middle East, and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Website: https://www.3i-infotech.com/,

4 Myths About Wi-Fi 6 and Why It is the Great Time to Make the Switch to the New Standard

Wi-Fi 6 is here, and devices supporting the new standard are starting to hit store shelves, both off- and online. Wi-Fi 6 promises to bring faster speeds and greater capacity… but there are some skeptics who believe that we aren’t quite ready for Wi-Fi 6 and that its benefits will only be appreciated later rather than sooner.

We disagree. Let's discuss many of the misconceptions about Wi-Fi 6 and why we believe now is a great time to make the switch and start your transition to using the new standard. But first, what exactly is Wi-Fi 6?

Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) is the latest wireless standard, designed to improve the current Wi-Fi standard, 802.11ac. Key benefits of Wi-Fi 6 over previous standards like Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) include 4x connected capacity, increased data throughput, and faster speeds, resulting in improved performance. This makes Wi-Fi 6 ideal for supporting smart homes with multiple connected devices, 4K & 8K streaming content, large file downloads & uploads, and gigabit internet speed tiers, giving you a more enjoyable Wi-Fi experience.

Now, let’s discuss some of the common myths that surround Wi-Fi 6:

Myth #1: There aren’t many Wi-Fi 6 devices on the market

Wi-Fi 6 enabled devices are readily available today from laptops on the market using Intel’s 10th-gen chips to the latest and greatest smartphones such as Samsung’s Galaxy S10 & Note 10, and Apple’s iPhone 11. With market movers such as Samsung, Apple, and Intel onboard with Wi-Fi 6, you can expect other industry leaders to recognize the benefits of the latest Wi-Fi technology and launch products with Wi-Fi 6.

Myth #2: Most devices will not work with Wi-Fi 6 routers

Wi-Fi 6 routers are 100% backwards compatible with Wi-Fi 5 and older Wi-Fi devices. While you may not get to experience Wi-Fi 6 from day one, you can make sure that your network is ready for new devices with Wi-Fi 6 sooner than later.

Myth #3: Wi-Fi 6 is blazing fast, but only if you have 50+ devices connected

Like-to-like, Wi-Fi 6 increases the speed for even one device by 40% as compared to Wi-Fi 5. If you get one of the newer laptops built-with Intel’s Gig+ technology, you can instantly double the speeds when matched with the right Wi-Fi 6 router.

Myth #4: There are no advantages of upgrading my router to Wi-Fi 6 right away

If your current router is fairly new, isn’t giving you any issues, and you are happy with it, then it’s certainly best to keep it for now and upgrade when the time is right. If you haven’t upgraded your router in a while, your Wi-Fi is slowing to a crawl, and you keep adding more connected devices, then you may consider a Wi-Fi 6 router to help future proof your home.

When it comes to Wi-Fi, NETGEAR has been an industry leader for over 20 years. The company provides the most innovative, reliable, and cutting-edge networking solutions possible. Being a leader, NETGEAR’s suite of Wi-Fi 6 solutions gives access to the most advanced Wi-Fi and are best of routers available in the market.

NETGEAR RBK752

Below are some added benefits of NETGEAR Nighthawk Wi-Fi 6 routers over an average router:

• Wi-Fi 6 routers have a faster CPU, so you may see additional speed benefits if you’re on a Gigabit internet plan
• Wi-Fi 6 provides the fastest real-world speeds and range (2.4 GHz or 5 GHz)
• Wi-Fi 6 routers are ideal for 4K/8K UHD streaming
• Wi-Fi 6 Brings Capacity Beyond Belief - It is faster than ever, and offers 4X increased capacity compared to a Wi-Fi 5.
• Wi-Fi 6 offers upto 12 Wi-Fi streams means more available Wi-Fi bandwidth and less congestion for all the devices on the Wi-Fi network. 
• Wi-Fi 6 Works with Existing Wi-Fi Devices - Supports all current Wi-Fi devices and is backward compatible with older devices.
• Wi-Fi 6 offers a seamless and Consistent Mesh Wi-Fi Coverage- From front door to backyard and in every corner of your home. A dedicated quad-stream Wi-Fi 6 backhaul allows up to four data streams on each band.
• Wi-Fi 6 provides the highest level of performance in busy multi-device households

Make your Wi-Fi feel young again! Here are some best-in-class NETGEAR Nighthawk suite of Wi-Fi 6 routers you should consider buying for your home or office for better and Faster Wi-Fi coverage - NETGEAR NIGHTHAWK AX4 Wi-Fi 6 Router, NETGEAR NIGHTHAWK TRI-BAND AX12 Wi-Fi 6 Router, NETGEAR ORBI RBK752 TRI-BAND Wi-Fi 6 MESH SYSTEM, NETGEAR ORBI RBK853 TRI-BAND Wi-Fi 6 MESH SYSTEM.

About NETGEAR:

NETGEAR (NASDAQ: NTGR) is a global networking company that delivers innovative products to consumers, businesses and service providers. The Company's products are built on a variety of proven technologies such as wireless (WiFi and LTE), Ethernet and power line, with a focus on reliability and ease-of-use. The product line consists of wired and wireless devices that enable networking, broadband access and network connectivity. These products are available in multiple configurations to address the needs of the end-users in each geographic region in which the Company's products are sold. NETGEAR products are sold in approximately 30,000 retail locations around the globe, and through approximately 25,000value-added resellers, as well as multiple major cables, mobile and wire line service providers around the world. The company's headquarters are in San Jose, Calif., with additional offices in approximately 25 countries. More information is available from the NETGEAR investor page or by calling (408) 907-8000. Connect with NETGEAR on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and our blog.

Indio Networks Debuts TIP OpenWiFi System

Indio Networks, a next-generation data networking and wireless company, will soon launch India's first commercial wireless networking solution built on the Telecom Infra Project’s (TIP) OpenWiFi stack. The new software platform is capable of running on a rich variety of indoor and outdoor Wi-Fi Access Points from any vendor validated by TIP OpenWiFi community.

Rishi Ghare, CEO of Indio Networks said -- 

Utilizing the TIP OpenWiFi system has provided Indio’s engineering team with a shot in the arm, helping us scale and boost our Make in India product development initiatives. TIP’s disaggregated, feature-rich platform and automated testing cycles enable us as an OEM, to focus our development and testing resources on our key differentiating features, to gear up to raise global competitive benchmark. We are pleased to announce our commercial Wi-Fi platform built on TIP OpenWiFi system.

Indio Networks has been an active contributor to the TIP OpenWiFi community and is soon planning to commercially launch TIP powered Wi-Fi Cloud Controller and Management platform, integrated with Indio's family of Wi-Fi access points. Indio's OpenWiFi solution will be fully compatible with any TIP-enabled Wi-Fi access point thus allowing customers a choice of hardware platforms that fit their specifications and budget. Indio has successfully completed lab trials and kicked off field trials using multiple types of TIP-enabled Wi-Fi APs over the last 6 months. The solution is currently deployed in Government College of Engineering, Pune and provides seamless connectivity to over 1,000 students in the campus. Further field trials are planned at India’s Western Railway offices and other venues.

The OpenWiFi project, driven by a global base of operators, managed service providers, vendors and industry organizations, makes it easy for vendors to optimize or reduce their R&D spend, specialize in their innovation and offer a new breed of interoperable enterprise-grade Wi-Fi solutions across cloud services and cutting-edge hardware access points. This in turn offers service providers, a greater choice of competitive suppliers from across the globe, to choose from. Together, this new ecosystem driven initiative from TIP will contribute to reducing the total cost of ownership (TCO) of next generation Wi-Fi networks.

"Democratization of Wi-Fi encourages collaboration and innovation by the various players of the Wi-Fi world. With the software and hardware disaggregation, we see great opportunity to expand the market for Wi-Fi solutions and bring focus on innovation and delivering new value. With the adoption of TIP OpenWiFi, we would be offering our advanced Wi-Fi management and monetization capabilities to a global market,” says Sohail Ahmad, CTO of Indio Networks.

Airtel launches ‘Airtel Wi-Fi Calling’ - India’s first Voice over Wi-Fi service

• Enables Airtel smartphone customers to switch seamlessly from LTE to Wi-Fi based calling when they are inside their homes/offices


• No extra charge for voice calls made with ‘Airtel Wi-Fi Calling’


• Currently available in Delhi/NCR. To be rolled out across the country in the coming days

In yet another industry first, Bharti Airtel (“Airtel”), India’s largest integrated telecommunications company, today launched its voice over Wi-Fi service –‘Airtel Wi-Fi Calling’.

‘Airtel Wi-Fi Calling’ is designed to enhance voice calling experience for Airtel smartphone customers, especially when they are indoors. With ‘Airtel Wi-Fi Calling’, customers with Wi-Fi at home or office will get excellent signal quality indoors. There will be no extra charge for calls made over ‘Airtel Wi-Fi Calling’ and the application consumes minimal data. The service is currently available to Airtel customers in Delhi NCR and will be gradually rolled out across India.

Randeep Sekhon, Chief Technology Officer, Bharti Airtel said, “As a customer obsessed brand, we are constantly working on improving customer experience based on their feedback. Seamless indoor coverage has been a key ask from mobile customers but getting permissions for site installations has always been a big challenge for mobile operators, particularly in top metros. ‘Airtel Wi-Fi Calling’ is another pioneering technology intervention from Airtel and will go a long way in making the voice calling experience more seamless.”

‘Airtel Wi-Fi Calling’ does not require any app and can be configured on the smartphone by following the steps mentioned below:

1. Check smartphone compatibility on airtel.in/wifi-calling

2. Upgrade device operating software to the latest version that supports Wi-Fi Calling*

3. Go to Settings on your mobile phone and Switch On Wi-Fi Calling

4. Keep VoLTE switched on as well for a seamless experience

Currently, the following smartphones support ‘Airtel Wi-Fi Calling’

• Apple: All iPhone series starting 6s and above


• Xiaomi: Redmi K20, Redmi K20 Pro & POCO F1


• Samsung: J6, A10s, On6, M30s


• OnePlus: All models of OnePlus 7 Series

Airtel is working with all leading smartphone brands to roll out compatibility with ‘Airtel Wi-Fi Calling’.

The service is currently compatible with Airtel Xstream Fiber home broadband and will soon be compatible with all broadband services and Wi-Fi hotspots.

Coming Soon Microsoft WiFi, A Service To Provide Wi-Fi For Users Everywhere

With the internet age, nothing can be kept a secret for long anymore. Microsoft, the technology giant, had a first hand experience of this when the details of its still work in progress service Microsoft WiFi were leaked online at a website called microsoftwifi.com.

The first one to spot the website was a Twitter user with the Twitter handle @h0x0d. He's apparently the same guy who had discovered Microsoft Earn in the past.

The website, microsoftwifi.com, before it was pulled off the net, described the new service as an offering providing "hassle-free Internet access around the world” in order to make users more productive on the go. The new Microsoft WiFi app in all likelihood will be a cross-platform affair. Before the website was pulled, one could see Microsoft WiFi app downloads links for Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, and Windows Phone.

With Microsoft WiFi, Microsoft has just one mission in mind and that is to make sure that you’re always online no matter where you go.

The webpage before it was pulled down gave a detailed explanation of how one needs to be "eligible" in order to download and use the app. Apparently, at the service launch, Microsoft WiFi will only be available to active Skype WiFi subscribers, employees of organizations with Microsoft Office 365 for Enterprise and customers who have received a special WiFi offer from Microsoft.

In case you've never heard of it, Skype WiFi is a service that lets users get online at over 2 million Wi-Fi hotspots worldwide, paying with Skype Credit for the minutes used. The main pitch there is "no more fumbling with credit cards or long sign up processes when you're on the move," according to Skype.



Venturebeat.com managed to grab the image above before Microsoft took down the website. As you can see, the point of the service is to make sure you’re always online no matter where you go:

[cp_quote style="quote_normal_light"]Don't waste time filling forms with personal information or managing different carriers to get connected. Sign in once and you are done: you will automatically be connected to a vast range of WiFi providers around the world.[/cp_quote]

Microsoft WiFi appears to be the same idea (a pay-as-you-go service that automatically connects you to free public Wi-Fi hotspots), but this appears to be more than just a rebranding, as it targets a much bigger audience: 10 million Wi-Fi hotspots in 130 countries.

As of now, Microsoft isn't sharing any more information right now, keep watching this space for more updates when it is available.

Eero Is World’s First WiFi System To Eliminate Dead-Spot In Your Home

Do you have just one Wi-Fi router for your entire house? Is its slow speed getting in the way of your midnight movie time? Well, not anymore because Eero, a San Francisco based startup, has a solution for your problem and don’t you worry, it doesn't involve Wi-Fi extenders.

A single router for the entire house can lead to various dead spots here and there, hampering your over all online experience. Rather than depending on one single router for the entire place, Eero suggests deploying a distributed system of smaller devices connected to each other through mesh networking.

The attractive looking design of the device has been designed by industrial designer Fred Bould. He has earlier worked on the Nest Protect and Nest thermostat.

One Eero will cost you $129, while a pack of three comes at a decent $299. According to the San Francisco based company, three Eeros will be enough for providing good connectivity and coverage for a typical house. The first Eero that one installs, hooks up to the existing modem already installed in the house.



Inside, the Eero comes with dual Wi-Fi radios for 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz connections, a 1 GHz processor, 1 GB of storage, Bluetooth 4.0 and 512 GB of RAM.

Along with the hardware, the San Francisco based company has also invented new software that will allow the users to monitor their network. The software even comes with its own iOS and android mobile applications that provide the users with the luxury to check their networks remotely. The users are even provided with an option to set up notifications to see whenever a new device joins their network and share access with them straight from the application.

Eero has several advantages over the traditional Wi-Fi extenders that are currently in use. The really cheap range extenders come with just one radio. This means one is required to constantly shift between them which hits your bandwidth and performance. They also end up creating multiple networks.

On the other hand, Eero’s system creates just one single network, with other individual devices being automatically connected.

Eero is a product of two years of labor which has the potential to end all our Wi-Fi troubles.

Eero Is World’s First WiFi System To Eliminate Dead-Spot In Your Home

Do you have just one Wi-Fi router for your entire house? Is its slow speed getting in the way of your midnight movie time? Well, not anymore because Eero, a San Francisco based startup, has a solution for your problem and don’t you worry, it doesn't involve Wi-Fi extenders.

A single router for the entire house can lead to various dead spots here and there, hampering your over all online experience. Rather than depending on one single router for the entire place, Eero suggests deploying a distributed system of smaller devices connected to each other through mesh networking.

The attractive looking design of the device has been designed by industrial designer Fred Bould. He has earlier worked on the Nest Protect and Nest thermostat.

One Eero will cost you $129, while a pack of three comes at a decent $299. According to the San Francisco based company, three Eeros will be enough for providing good connectivity and coverage for a typical house. The first Eero that one installs, hooks up to the existing modem already installed in the house.



Inside, the Eero comes with dual Wi-Fi radios for 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz connections, a 1 GHz processor, 1 GB of storage, Bluetooth 4.0 and 512 GB of RAM.

Along with the hardware, the San Francisco based company has also invented new software that will allow the users to monitor their network. The software even comes with its own iOS and android mobile applications that provide the users with the luxury to check their networks remotely. The users are even provided with an option to set up notifications to see whenever a new device joins their network and share access with them straight from the application.

Eero has several advantages over the traditional Wi-Fi extenders that are currently in use. The really cheap range extenders come with just one radio. This means one is required to constantly shift between them which hits your bandwidth and performance. They also end up creating multiple networks.

On the other hand, Eero’s system creates just one single network, with other individual devices being automatically connected.

Eero is a product of two years of labor which has the potential to end all our Wi-Fi troubles.

Soon Wi-Fi services in India's Cities and Universities

Wi-Fi has nowadays become as important as food for many of us and it seems the Narendra Modi government which came to power two months back has also realized the power possessed by Wi-Fi and decided to give it a further boost.

The NaMo government has decided on launching Wi-Fi services in urban areas and universities. The move has been taken in order to increase IT based government interference with people and making mobile connectivity easier. The government will be providing support to municipal bodies and state governments to launch these services.

BJP all throughout its election campaign stressed on creating "Islands" where Wi-Fi connectivity will be made available to speed up the process of e-governance all across the country, particularly in the urban pockets.

If some sources are to be believed, the telecom department paid a visit to the Prime Minister on Saturday and are expected to get approval of "competent authority" for the project by March next year.

The Telecom department is also trying to get a Cabinet approval for a scheme which aims at making mobile phone connectivity available to all uncovered villages in the Himalayan states. Another proposal which is in line to get the Cabinet's approval is for comprehensive telecom development in the North East region of the country.

In a recent presentation of all the important infrastructure ministries, the Planning Commission has submitted that the department aims at awarding work to set up around 500 mobile towers in the Left Wing Extremism affected districts. In 2014, it has a target of connecting 50,000 panchayats with the help of National optical fibre network.

The road transport ministry is also planning on launching a web portal which would aim at helping contractors in keeping a track of their pending bills and their current location.

According to a Ministry official, the facility for uploading the bill won't be available in the starting but one will be easily able to find out the status of his or her claims. This web portal will put an end to the ages old ritual of contractors visiting the government offices in order to get their payments cleared.

Soon Wi-Fi services in India's Cities and Universities

Wi-Fi has nowadays become as important as food for many of us and it seems the Narendra Modi government which came to power two months back has also realized the power possessed by Wi-Fi and decided to give it a further boost.

The NaMo government has decided on launching Wi-Fi services in urban areas and universities. The move has been taken in order to increase IT based government interference with people and making mobile connectivity easier. The government will be providing support to municipal bodies and state governments to launch these services.

BJP all throughout its election campaign stressed on creating "Islands" where Wi-Fi connectivity will be made available to speed up the process of e-governance all across the country, particularly in the urban pockets.

If some sources are to be believed, the telecom department paid a visit to the Prime Minister on Saturday and are expected to get approval of "competent authority" for the project by March next year.

The Telecom department is also trying to get a Cabinet approval for a scheme which aims at making mobile phone connectivity available to all uncovered villages in the Himalayan states. Another proposal which is in line to get the Cabinet's approval is for comprehensive telecom development in the North East region of the country.

In a recent presentation of all the important infrastructure ministries, the Planning Commission has submitted that the department aims at awarding work to set up around 500 mobile towers in the Left Wing Extremism affected districts. In 2014, it has a target of connecting 50,000 panchayats with the help of National optical fibre network.

The road transport ministry is also planning on launching a web portal which would aim at helping contractors in keeping a track of their pending bills and their current location.

According to a Ministry official, the facility for uploading the bill won't be available in the starting but one will be easily able to find out the status of his or her claims. This web portal will put an end to the ages old ritual of contractors visiting the government offices in order to get their payments cleared.