Public Access WLAN in Europe: A Technology in Search of a Business Case?

According to its growing band of supporters, public wireless local-area network (PWLAN) technology represents an exciting and lucrative new market opportunity for both equipment vendors and service providers (SPs). To support their argument, they will often be heard citing mobile professionals' insatiable appetite for high-speed Internet access from remote "hotspot" locations. At the other extreme, the doomsayers can be heard describing PWLAN as just another overhyped wireless technology, unsupported by any sustainable business models, and destined to crash-land before it has managed to even get off the ground. The truth, as ever, lies somewhere in between.

In this Report, we examine the European PWLAN market opportunity over a five-year time frame. We focus specifically on sizing the PWLAN services market, and we critique the alternative service models that are currently in vogue. We conclude that PWLAN does indeed have a future in Europe, but the true market potential will come as a disappointment to many. Our specific findings include the following:

Der vollständige Bericht ist bei der Yankee Group erhältlich.