Newsletter AUGUST07

FON NEWSBLOTTER

FON joins Neuf Cegetel, the France’s leading alternative operator

Starting in September, Neuf and FON will offer Neuf subscribers a free service to join the FON Community. Neuf users who own a Neuf WiFi Box can easily activate the service using the free activation wizard available on the Neuf and FON websites, and then they will be able to start sharing some of their Internet connection with the WiFi Community. This is made possible thanks to the software specially developed for the Neuf WiFi Boxes that are being installed in all Neuf routers.

The new service will help Neuf subscribers join the FON Community, allowing them to enjoy free WiFi at every FON Spot in France and around the world. All of us Foneros will find many more FON Spots when visiting France.

You don’t need a beret to enjoy WiFi in France. Now FON is even more très magnifique in France with WiFi flowing like Bordeaux thanks to our partnership with Neuf.

Still looking for that perfect summer destination?

If you’re going to be in Europe and want to avoid the heat of the Mediterranean, try going to Stockholm. If you’re in a coffee shop in Amsterdam, we’ll just assume you’re connecting to a FON Spot. No questions asked, we promise. In Berlin, you can enjoy one of the most alternative European cities with hundreds of bars, nightclubs, museums, and also over 3,000 FON Spots! Or is Paris more your style? Do you prefer the trè chic cafes of the Boulevard Saint Germain? How about sun and fun? Then come visit us in Spain. Madrid’s entire Chueca neighborhood is draped in 180 FON Spots through our ChuecaWiFi initiative. In Chueca, you can alternate between café hopping and trendy shopping while enjoying FON WiFi. Or stop by Malaga or Lleida, both Fonero cities.

What about the other side of the pond in the U.S.? You might run into the Matador Joselito when you cross the Golden Gate into San Francisco. Go coast to coast and take a stroll through the Big Apple while connecting to FON Spots in New York City. If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere!

Do you prefer discovering the exotic pleasures of an Asian destination? Then we particularly recommend Tokyo and Taipei. Tokyo’s famous Cat Street in the city’s hip Harajuku district is full of incredible shops and is covered by FON WiFi signals. Jump over to Taipei. It is Taiwan’s dynamic capital where you’ll find everything running 24 hours a day: restaurants, shopping, the latest high tech gadgets, pop and traditional culture. But most importantly, you will find more than 2,000 FON Spots!

No matter where you go this August for your final summer fling, our FON Maps can point you in the right direct and give you a good excuse for bringing your WiFi gadgets along for the ride!

Let’s Welcome the FON Support Communities

The Support Communities Project will progressively launch different programs for volunteers to help FON in various areas of customer support and product testing. The first program is the Beta Tester Community with the motto “Unwiring your future”. This group will be composed of 100 volunteers to test new FON products and services with the Beta Testers’ ideas and feedback.

We have selected the hundred Beta Testers from thousands of applications received through our blogs. They are top Foneros with a high technical profile and English fluency and come from more than 20 countries.

In the next months, we will begin announcing the other new programs in the Support Communities Project. If you are interested in taking part, keep an eye on our Blogs for more information.

FONTASTIC FON SPOTS

Mr. Meng-Chi Wu is the owner and manager of the “A.J. Resort” on the South Bay of Kenting, the southernmost side of Taiwan. This is a famous beach area with dazzling bright sunshine and blue seawater. Guests at the A.J. Resort enjoy many water activities from scuba diving to surfing. Now they also enjoy FON WiFi.

“Accessing the internet via wireless has become a ‘must’ in my daily life. I was so excited when I first discovered FON because it makes surfing the internet so much easier. When I started using WiFi, I always kept my router open for other people. I was concerned about security, but I really wanted to share with others. Now, FON helps ease my security concerns and makes sharing WiFi much safer!

Our Resort is next to the fantastic beach of South Bay in Kenting. After setting up the La Fonera, I could not wait to change to a high gain antenna so that I could access WiFi from the beach. It is also great for other people! I hope more and more people will come to Kenting and enjoy the WiFi convenience of my FON signal!”

Mr. Meng-Chi Wu, owner of “A.J. Resort” in Kenting, Taiwan.

If you come to Kenting, please don’t forget to stop by the A.J. Resort and have a beer with Meng-Chi!

NOTES FROM THE MOVIMIENTO

Top Fonero of the Month

Here is Julien. He is a 22 year old computer scientist from Nancy, France.

“I’m really thankful to FON and its Community! Before I became Fonero I heard a lot about FON, and one day I got a promotional offer to receive a free La Fonera. I thought it would be an interesting opportunity. I was moving to a big city and thought I could share my Internet connection with other people and maybe even access the Internet for free everywhere in the city! I’m really happy to take part in the FON community. What’s more, FON even offered me a free La Fontenna. Next, I learned that we can get free access to FON Spots while making a little money by sharing our connection! I recommend FON to all my friends and neighbors. It’s nice to know I can help people living in my building when they need Internet access, and when I invite friends home they can connect to the Internet with their own login instead of asking me for my WiFi password. FON is a really great project, and I hope that soon I’ll be able to go anywhere and be assured free Internet access…”

Julien