Boingo Offers Worldwide Wi-Fi For $39 A Month

Wi-Fi aggregator Boingo Wireless announced a $39-a-month plan Monday that lets international travelers access more than 100,000 global hotspots.

The Boingo Global plan is immediately available at more than 50 hotspots in France and Norway. Boingo said it plans to add service in the United Kingdon, Italy, and Germany later this year.

"The days of per-minute charges and incremental roaming fees for Wi-Fi Internet access are over," said Boingo president and CEO Dave Hagan in a statement. In the United States, Boingo has focused much of its aggregation of paid Wi-Fi sites on airports and hotels.

In Europe, Boingo has partnered with France's Hub Telecom and Norway's Oslo Lufthavn Tele & Data AS. Boingo Global users will have access to nearly 50 Hub Telecom hotspots in airports, hotels, and other key business locations. Airports and hotels in Norway also are included in the agreement.

Boingo also has been expanding its paid service throughout the U.S. In May, the firm signed a deal with Fon, a firm that has been signing up users on a global basis to share and use its service.Boingo plans are available for service across the country with, for instance, California having some 1,129 Boingo hotspots and Wyoming 8.

The latest Boingo deployment comes as Apple has heightened interest in Wi-Fi because its new iPhone has Wi-Fi capability -- still a rarity among smartphones. At the same time, free Wi-Fi access is growing at a range of locations, including hotels and libraries.