Striving for mass-markets with a new model for regional public access WLAN provider

Although WLAN-technology is becoming more and more popular, the real consumer mass markets have not yet adopted it. This is not only because of the lack of terminal devices, but also because of the disconnectedness and immaturity concerning network access technologies and business models. The needs and requirements of the mass-market consumers must also be clearly understood. This paper considers the wireless data transfer market. We present a proposal for dividing the adopters of WLAN-technology into different groups that have different characteristics. We also study the benefits, challenges and financial possibilities of a new kind of regional WLAN-access provider. The new model aims to reduce some of the presented barriers that separate WLAN from mass markets. The regional access provider model presented provides the user free local services and an opportunity to choose one's ISP.