End nigh for Wi-Fi?

Rapid growth in the take up of mobile broadband services could make Wi-Fi hotspots obsolete, an executive with Swedish technology firm Ericsson has reportedly said.

According to PC Pro, the company's chief marketing officer Johan Bergendahl told a recent computing conference in Stockholm, Sweden that Wi-Fi hotpots had become "the telephone boxes of the broadband era".

However, he said the low cost of mobile broadband in countries like Austria, Denmark and Sweden will seriously challenge Wi-Fi's dominance.

Computer World reports that Mr Bergendahl said mobile broadband could overtake fixed services in places like Austria before the end of 2008.

However, he added that some challenges remain for the technology, particularly problems associated with a lack of coverage in some areas and the cost of international roaming - when a mobile broadband device accesses a network when the users is in another country.

"Carriers need to work together. It can be as simple as paying ten euros (£7.62) per day when you are abroad," he said.

A British couple were recently left with a bill for £11,000 when their mobile device continued to download media files over a roaming connection in Germany.