Looking for Wi-Fi service? Try Seoul
South Korean city the world's No. 1 with more than 2,000 locations; San Francisco tops domestic list.
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) - If you're looking for access to a public wireless network, you'll have the best luck finding one in Seoul, according to a company that tracks locations where Wi-Fi service is available. San Francisco-based JiWire named the South Korean city as the most Wi-Fi-friendly city for having more than 2,000 Wi-Fi locations.
The number of Wi-Fi locations -- also called "hotspots" -- surged 87 percent last year to more than 100,000, reflecting the rapid adoption of public wireless access, according to JiWire. Hotspots are physical addresses where people can connect to a public wireless network, such as a cafe, hotel or airport. Tokyo came in second on JiWire's "Top 10 Cities List," while London followed in the No. 3 spot. While no American cities were ranked among the world's top three, the U.S. topped JiWire's "Top 10 Countries List." The most domestic Wi-Fi locations are found in San Francisco, which has about 800 hotspots, followed by New York and Chicago. "In just this past year, we've seen almost 100 percent growth in the number of hotspots around the world," JiWire CEO Kevin McKenzie said in a statement. "With more than 115 countries having adopted Wi-Fi, we're witnessing a true global connectivity phenomenon." ______________ 2006 promises a hi-speed wireless boom. Click here for more. |
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