LITTLETON, Colo. –(Business Wire)– May 7, 2004 Hometown Access Communications, LLC, a Denver-area wireless broadband communications company, has purchased AirWeb Portal, a Denver-area hot spot provider. This acquisition adds four new metro-area hot spots to Hometown Access’ already extensive list of Internet access points. Current and future Hometown Access customers benefit because hot spots allow them to access the Internet at convenient locations all over the city.
Hometown Access provides wireless high-speed Internet service to under-served neighborhoods and businesses in the Denver metro area. The company has spent nearly three years building one of the largest wireless broadband networks to cover a top-thirty city. Hometown Access covers more of the population of Colorado than any other wireless broadband network.
“Hometown Access is committed to providing its customers with all of the capabilities of the Internet, including the option to use it when they are away from their homes and offices. With the purchase of AirWeb Portal, we continue to add locations throughout the metro-area where our customers can conduct business, contact friends or just do research,” said John Taylor, chairman and CEO of Hometown Access.
By aggressively pursuing hotspot acquisitions, as well as expanding its own hotspot locations through new towers, Hometown Access continues to help its customers use the Internet how and when they want. Unlike DSL and cable, wireless broadband Internet service has inherent portability. Customers who use a wireless connection at home or work can also connect to the Internet at broadband speeds in any location covered by a Hometown Access hot spot. Using a global hot spot network, Hometown Access can link to the Internet all over the world. Any computer or PDA that is Wi-Fi equipped gives customers access to these hot spots. Additional hot spot locations give Internet customers more freedom, allowing them to have business meetings away from the office, send e-mail or just access important information while they are on the road.
Financial details of the AirWeb Portal purchase were not available, but it was a cash and stock transaction. All Colorado hot spots owned by Hometown Access and its sister company, NetResort, will be identified by the new brand, HotZon (pronounced Hot Zone). These HotZons are located in popular restaurants, coffee shops and hotels throughout the metro-area, as well as several ski resorts. The roaming service will be available to Hometown Access residential and business customers for $4.95 a month in addition to regular monthly service charges. Customers who do not have Hometown Access residential or business service can subscribe to HotZon service for $9.95 a month. All HotZon customers can add global hot spot access at more than 3,000 locations for an additional $10 a month.
In the coming months, Hometown Access will roll out several additional HotZons. The Saddle Rock community, including the golf course, will be completely covered by a Hometown Access HotZon, allowing golfers to get away from the office more frequently because they now have the ability to conduct important business transactions at the course. The Holiday Inn at Centennial Airport, as well as most of the airport area, will also be covered early this summer. NetResort currently offers HotZons in Beaver Creek and Avon and will add HotZon coverage in four additional Colorado ski towns this summer, including Breckenridge, Keystone and Vail. Expanding hot spot locations makes it easier for people to mix work and pleasure, or to simply get more out of their day, since wireless Internet access means they are no longer tied to a desk.