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Marriott to add Wi-Fi to 400 hotels: This announcement is one of those seminal moments, not really like Cometa two weeks ago, but rather like Boingo or T-Mobile's 2,000 Starbucks stores (which should have happened around this week, too). Marriott adding Wi-Fi -- and, by the way, not using Wayport, but another firm they have a relationship with -- signals to the rest of the hotel industry that it's time to get serious about Wi-Fi. Likewise, unless Marriott is retrograde and out of step with reality, they will be partnering with some or multiple aggregation firms for access.

The company says that they tested Wi-Fi at several properties, but there are 2,500 Marriotts worldwide. This 400-location rollout is still a test, because their customers will demand uniform availability of any service. You can't offer a service as a guarantee while still requiring that your customers have to call before each trip and confirm the service they require exists.

Other News

Acquisitions and investments: I try to not cover every last financial announcement, but it's notable that Intel is an investor in the STSN firm that's wiring Marriott. Intel Capital also put money into TeleSym, which offers Internet telephony services. Philips bought Systemonics, which causes speculation that the consumer electronics manufacturer will embed Wi-Fi into its devices.

Intel to ship 802.11b, not dual band, in Banias: Contrary to reports a few days ago, Intel has committed to including an 802.11b chipset with its Banias laptop component system, not no wireless at all. The 802.11b chipset will be available in early 2003, while a dual-radio chipset will be offered mid-year.

SonicBlue offers Wi-Fi add-on for DVD player: SonicBlue's GoVido D2730 plays practically every kind of media that fits on a 120 mm disc, and it also can stream MPEG2 via a network, including Wi-Fi with an optional add-on card.

Air2Lan and US Wireless merge: These two wireless ISPs serve regions throughout the south and are merging forces. US Wireless was mentioned in this space just a few days ago; they unwired the Louisville, Kentucky, convention and exhibition center and a nearby hotel, in what they call (and no one has contradicted) the largest contiguous Wi-Fi installation in the country.