Boingo partners with TSI, a cellular clearinghouse: Boingo's partnership with TSI, announced today, will allow Boingo to build a closer relationship with cell companies. TSI works to settle fees across cell networks, allowing seamless roaming. Boingo works to integrate wireless hot spot networks into their single-login, single-bill system. Cell companies that wanted to offer hot spot access as part of their plans will be able to work via TSI for billing and settlement, an important step in Boingo's expansion and the further integration of cell and Wi-Fi.
News.com's coverage of Boingo/Earthlink deal: an Earthlink account logs you into Boingo's network at Boingo's prices. I question Charny's description of a Wi-Fi card as a modem, however. Technically, probably right, but it sounds odd.
Microsoft won't certify 802.11a-only gear: In an interesting effort that seems to have good intent behind it, Microsoft won't certify any 802.11a standalone gear, according to News.com's Ben Charny. Rather, they will certify only dual radio devices, which should be available in large numbers by the fall. It's odd to use a technical certification to change market behavior. You don't need a certified driver to use 802.11a; regular drivers work, too. But users will be concerned by the warnings that Windows XP generates for drivers that aren't approved by Microsoft's testing lab. [via Olivier Travers and Alan Reiter]
The Gillmor Seal of Referral: I believe it counts as a Daily Double when both Gillmor brothers (Steve and Dan) refer to your blog in the space of two weeks. Thanks, gents. Dan, the tech columnist for the San Jose Mercury News, is one of my favorite reads, as he's been in the industry long enough to have developed the Howard Beale approach to industry lies and misdirection (a frighteningly appropriate quote from the frighteningly appropriately named Network with capitalization added: Go to your Windows, open your Windows, and stick your head out, and yell, "I'm as mad as hell and I'm not going to take this anymore!"). Steve is the kinder, gentler alternative, filing a weekly inside back cover column for InfoWorld that keeps the knife well hidden inside the rolled-up publication.
Conferences
Stephanie Kesler blogs the 802.11 Planet conference: an Alaskan involved in the wireless ISP world, Stephanie blogs the content and her observations.
Presenter Alan Reiter is also blogging the conference
Next week in Seattle, June 17-18, the eye for wireless conference focuses on IT and technical issues.