A new forecast from ABI Research predicts that worldwide Wi-Fi hotspots will grow by nearly 25 percent this year to 179,500.
Seventy-two percent of the sites are in North America and Europe, but the number of Wi-Fi hotspots in the Asia Pacific region is growing rapidly, according to ABI Research. The Asia Pacific region will come close to matching the number of North American hotspots by 2012.
Europe remains the market leader with more than 70,000 hotspots. Major proponents of Wi-Fi hot spots are retail establishments. McDonalds is making rapid progress in turning its 4000 locations into hotspots.
With almost 46,000 hotspots worldwide, the hospitality industry continues to embrace Wi-Fi.
ABI Research recently released "Wi-Fi Hotspot Market Data," a report that provides a historical perspective on Wi-Fi hotspots and a five-year forecast on anticipated deployment by region and venue.
For more information, visit www.abiresearch.com.
