DÜSSELDORF, GERMANY - Tired of watching rival mobile phone operator T-Mobile International AG & Co. KG win new customers for its Wi-Fi wireless broadband service in Germany, Vodafone D2 GmbH has agreed to join forces with The Cloud Networks Ltd. to offer a competitive nationwide wireless Net offering.
Under the agreement announced Wednesday, The Cloud will offer German users Wi-Fi coverage at more than 1,000 hotspots beginning in July. Over the next four years, the operator plans to increase that number to 10,000, offering service in high-traffic areas, such as airports, train stations, hotels and cafes.
The Cloud, which is located in London, recently acquired 400 hotspots from Airnyx AG. By comparison, T-Mobile has so far launched more than 4,500 hotspots in the country.
Around two years ago, Vodafone decided against building its own hotspots in Germany and around Europe, essentially leaving T-Mobile to become one of the largest Wi-Fi providers on the continent.
In Germany, Vodafone now plans to offer Wi-Fi in conjunction with its 3G (third-generation) cellular broadband service, which is currently available in more than 700 cities. Customers will be billed via their mobile phone invoice. The operator plans special fees for combined 3G and Wi-Fi services.
The Cloud currently operates more than 5,400 hotspots in the U.K. -- many of them located in pubs -- and another 600 in Sweden. Its deal with Vodafone is not exclusive.
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