Keep your chickens in different baskets is Verizon Wireless's policy and SprintPCS extends to Wi-Fi: The first article confirms early announcements by Verizon Wireless to offer its high-speed 1xEvDO (evolution data-only) cellular data service in San Diego and Washington, D.C., and that it will offer Wi-Fi access on a complementary (not complimentary) basis to cell customers using Wayport's network, among others.
Interestingly, since Verizon's DSL business is installing hot spot service for its customers, you'd think that the wireless division would want or would announce that it would have access to it, as well. A spokesperson told me there's no current plan to link the Verizon Communications and Verizon Wireless Wi-Fi access.
The second article unveils SprintPCS's plans to launch Wi-Fi service to complement their 2.5G service in partnership with Wayport (500+ hot spots) and AirPath (300+). Interestingly, SprintPCS predicts 2,100 locations by year's end. SprintPCS is a Boingo investor, and no mention of Boingo in these releases. Boingo currently includes over 1,200 hot spots, 500 of those being Wayport locations.
No pricing information has been announced on either front.
(Later on Monday, Sprint PCS said they're talking to AT&T Wireless about roaming; I spoke to the biz-dev director quoted earlier today and he didn't mention this particular deal, which isn't finalized nor does it have any schedule or fee settlement pricing attached yet.)
Clearly, this leaves Cingular, my cell phone provider, the odd man out. T-Mobile has its HotSpot division. AT&T Wireless has GoPort. SprintPCS and Verizon Wireless now have their plans. I'm not sure what Nextel plans to do yet, but they haven't been opposed to Wi-Fi.