Free Google access on FON
You can now access Gmail, Google Maps and other Google services for free whenever you’re around a Fonera (a FON access point). Usually access to a Fonera is only free when you offer a Fonera at home yourself. You get a 15 minute slot for free, but afterwards you’ll need to pay up:
“Another great way of promoting FON and our shareholders is to allow all of our users to have free access to Google products, like Google Maps, news, search, and now Gmail. We’ve learned that when people get to try FON they are more likely to buy a FON pass or become a Fonero by purchasing a Fonera and sharing at home so they can roam for free.”
I wonder if this is officially endorsed by Google, or if FON is just riding on the back of Google’s success. Google wouldn’t mind of course, as they get more eyes on their ads.
Read the newsletter at FON.
According to their newsletter, there are 760.000 Foneros, worldwide. Unfortunately, they don’t offer their products for sale in Australia (yet). I wonder why that is.
Gets you thinking (me at least) on how different FON and Meraki are, and what Google expects out of their investment in Meraki.