London leads the world for Wi-Fi Usage

According to new research from iPass Inc., Wi-Fi usage across the world grew by 44% between H1 2006 and H2 2006, with the strongest growth in the UK where Wi-Fi usage soared by 75%.

The research, published in the ‘iPass Wi-Fi Hotspot Index’, found that over half (59%) of global Wi-Fi usage takes place in the US, while the UK is in second place at 11%.

London was the world’s most popular city for usage of Wi-Fi at non-business travel locations such as retail locations and cafes, with over 11,000 sessions.

Airports were the most popular venue for Wi-Fi connections, accounting for 49% of all public Wi-Fi access worldwide. Café’s and other retail outlets were the second most popular venue, with 29% of Wi-Fi connections and hotels were in third place with 23%.

In the UK, Heathrow airport was the most popular Wi-Fi venue during the period, followed by Gatwick, Manchester, Edinburgh and Glasgow airports. The most popular hotel venues included the Radisson Hotel at Manchester Airport, the Hilton London Heathrow and the Hilton Paddington.

The iPass Wi-Fi Hotspot Index summarises data collected by iPass across its base of approximately 1,000,000 quarterly users. The company has a network of more than 76,000 hotspots in 68 countries, and over 3,000 business customers, allowing it to offer a global perspective into Wi-Fi usage.