Two more Wi-Fi roaming partners for Boingo

The client software gives transparent access to any wireless hotspot on Boingo's roaming list, automatically identifying the hotspot and connecting to it. Designed for use on a Boingo Mobile package, it gives unlimited Wi-Fi usage, including VoIP, but only on handheld devices. It will not work with a laptop.

Boingo used the open source community to get its software ported. It posted the client software on SourceForge and invited developers to port it to new devices. It already had versions for Series 60, WinMob 5 and Nokia tablets, and is understood to be targeting BlackBerry next.

There is no problem if customers choose to use other access software instead, such as the new DeviceScape v2 which can aggregate multiple Wi-Fi services in one client, although Boingo's broad roaming coverage means most of its users shouldn't need another service.

Boingo, which competes with other roaming aggregators such as iPass, is joining the Wireless Broadband Alliance, which should help it get closer to the big network operators.

Boingo has assembled a large and rapidly growing roaming system with tens of thousands of hotspot locations under contract around the world. Boingo also invented the world's most powerful software for discovering and connecting to hotspots.