- Tiered/premium hotspots, where users pay a premium for higher-speed data
- Managed hotspots, where a service provider owns the network and manages services for building owners, businesses and others looking to get into the Wi-Fi game
- Wi-Fi roaming, which allows users to roam between different hotspots and wireless networks seamlessly
The widespread availability of Wi-Fi-enabled devices—including smartphones, PCs and tablets—has led to enormous demand for reliable and cost-effective Wi-Fi services across the globe. As a result, operators are refining their strategies and deploying Wi-Fi networks in greater numbers to help grown their bottom line. Monetizing Wi-Fi, therefore, has become a huge priority.
The technology provides a huge opportunity to operators; according to a recent report from MarketsandMarkets, the global Wi-Fi market will be worth $93.23 billion by 2018. With such projections, it’s no wonder operators are looking closely at and implementing various Wi-Fi business models. According to a recent report from Infonetics Research, the fastest-growing monetization models for Wi-Fi services are: