WHAT IS HOTSPOT?

A hotspot is an area in a public space that provides access to the internet via a wireless local area network. It uses WiFi technology. It can be applied in cafes, shopping malls, train stations, restaurants, supermarkets, campuses, hospitals and many other public spaces.

The idea of wireless local area networking in public spaces was introduced by Brett Stewart at the NetWorld+Intercop conference in 1993 without using the term hotspot. The term hotspot was first used by Nokia 5 years after Stewart. In the early 2000s, paid and free hotspots became widespread in many countries with the support of many companies.

Hotspots can be public, free or commercial, allowing easy broadband internet access in areas where we spend time outside our homes with any WiFi compatible device such as a laptop, PDA or WiFi phone. In completely unprotected public areas, internet access is more likely to be restricted or paid, user-monitored, as there can be security issues.

In commercial ones, after sending an initial connection request, the user is directed to a login and authorization page. Here, payment can be made via credit card or phone and access rights can be granted, or access rights can be granted via username and password purchased with prepayment. In this way, users can be defined and tracked.