The Cloud scores payphone/kiosk deal for 7,000 locations: The UK Wi-Fi operator The Cloud, part of a group that offers gaming to pubs, has signed a deal with NWP Spectrum, a firm that operates payphones and Internet kioks across Britain. The Cloud has 1,800 locations running so far, and expects thousands more -- not including this deal -- in the next year.
Payphones as Wi-Fi terminals isn't a new idea, but it's gaining traction. When I spoke to Ken Haase of Proxim last month, he noted that Verizon's rollout of Wi-Fi-equipped payphones for Verizon DSL customers in New York used Proxim's gear. Proxim customized its AP2500 product line. The unit includes a DSL modem and the hot spot, but it's built to be invisible. "You don’t see something you can rip open and take away with you," Haase said. Verizon predicts 1,500 of these in New York City alone. [via TechDirt]