Wireless community-builder startup Fon is taking over Starbucks' T-mobile-powered hotspots across the country, reports Ad Age.
Starting in February, Fon launched a campaign called "Fonbucks," where it gave away free Wi-Fi routers to Starbucks' neighbors around the country. The reason was to provide Starbucks customers with a $2 alternative to Starbucks' pricey T-Mobile hotspots, which cost $10 to log-onto.
Last week Fon cut a deal with Time Warner Cable allowing any Time Warner customer to create his/her own Wi-Fi hotspot. The news allows small businesses and neighbors to easily set-up a Wi-Fi hotspot. Of the $2 Fon charges for users to log-on for the day, Fon splits proceeds 50:50 with the Wi-Fi owners, which Fon affectionately calls "Foneros."
Fon's ultimate goal is to build a massive network of Wi-Fi networks and is in discussion with other Internet providers to extend its community-friendly empire. There is also talk of monetizing the network via advertising. Google, eBay's Skype, and others have already given $21 million to fund the Spanish startup.