Vodafone's new Wi-Fi service available today

Vodafone's Irish users will be able to sign up for a new Wi-Fi service later today that enables them to connect to the internet in thousands of locations in the Republic and the rest of Europe.

The mobile firm has signed deals with BT and Bitbuzz that will enable it to offer high-speed internet access using Wi-Fi, a technology that the firm had previously shunned as a competitor.

Vodafone, which already offers its customers a high-speed internet service using third generation mobile technology, will initially offer the service at 140 locations across the Republic. These include a range of hotels, such as the Fitzwilliam and the Killiney Castle Hotel, Insomnia coffee houses, and the RDS in Dublin.

Later this year the firm expects to extend coverage further, says Chris Handley, head of data products at Vodafone, who is leading the roll out of its Wi-Fi strategy.

Wi-Fi is a technology standard developed by the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers which creates wireless area networks in the 2.4GHz spectrum. It can offer download speeds up to 11 megabytes per second, considerably more than the 384 kilobytes per second of existing third generation mobile technology.

However, it has a limited range of about 100 metres so is only suitable for use inside buildings.

"People using one of our sites need a Wi-Fi compatible device such as a PDA or laptop," says Handley. "But one of the real benefits for customers is that they won't need to get vouchers from the location because Wi-Fi will be added to their existing bill."

The integration of mobile technology offered by operators such as Vodafone and Wi-Fi is one of the key future trends expected by analysts. BT will shortly launch a mobile phone that can make voice-over-internet protocol calls using Wi-Fi networks. And Vodafone will shortly launch a data card that switches between GPRS, 3G and Wi-Fi.

Interestingly, Vodafone does not own the Wi-Fi hotspots but instead has signed wholesale deals with Esat BT and Bittbuzz that are remarkably similar to "virtual operator" agreements.

However, Vodafone Ireland's embrace of Wi-Fi will not reduce prices for Irish consumers, at least in the short-term. A single hours connection to a Wi-Fi hotspot will cost punters €10, in line with all the other providers.