A new service called Simplifi lets travelers prepay for voice and wired and wireless Internet access: Users can connect to any hotspot that is part of the iPass network or make phone calls using a single prepaid account. The service may be useful to individual business travelers whose companies don't use iPass because iPass focuses on multi-user accounts. It also lets customers pay for what they use rather than requiring them to pay a regular subscription.
However, it's a terrible deal. In North America, Simplifi users will pay almost $15 per hour to use a hotspot. Most hotspots that are part of the iPass network charge quite a bit less than that so it's not clear why users would pay that much for access. For example, T-Mobile is part of the iPass network and it charges $6 an hour or $9.99 for a day pass. The Simplifi concept is interesting as it offers users a single point to pay for access but the prices will have to decrease for it to be compelling.